June 13, 2025

What You Missed in AI This Week (Google, Apple, ChatGPT)

00:28:50

Summary

Main Topic: The episode discusses the rapid advancements in AI technology, particularly in the areas of video and voice generation, and their impact on consumer AI companies.

Key Points:

The episode highlights the recent explosion of AI-generated video content across social media platforms, with Google's VO3 model being a key contributor.
VO3 is a video model that generates audio natively, allowing for the creation of full-featured talking human videos with multiple characters in one place.
The episode also discusses the updates to voice tools like Chai Chippiti and Eleven Labs, which have improved the quality and realism of voice generation.
The hosts, Justine and Olivia Moore, demo Google's VO3 video model and break down the major upgrades to voice tools.
The episode also covers the recent updates to ChatGPT's advanced voice mode, which has improved the model's ability to generate more human-like voices.
The hosts discuss the impact of AI on consumer AI companies, including the rapid growth of revenue and the shift towards subscription-based models.
The episode also highlights the potential for AI to assist in brand creation and ideation, with the hosts demonstrating how to create a brand using AI tools like ChatGPT and CREA.

Participants:

Show Notes

Things in consumer AI are moving fast. In this episode, Justine and Olivia Moore, investing partners (and identical twins!) at a16z, break down what’s real, what’s overhyped, and what’s next across the consumer AI space. They cover:

Veo 3: how Google's video model unlocked a new genre of content
OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode: upgrades, realism, and... um, human-like hesitation
Apple's AI announcements
11Labs V3: expressive voice tags, real-time interruptions, and narrative tools for creators
New data from a16z: AI consumer startups are ramping revenue faster than ever—and they show you how
Justine walks through how she used ChatGPT, Ideogram, and Krea to launch a fully AI-assisted brand prototype (store photos and all)

Timecodes:

00:00 Introduction

00:28 Meet the Hosts: Justine and Olivia

00:44 Veo 3: The Game-Changer in AI Video

06:34 ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode Updates

10:22 Apple's AI Announcements and Siri's Shortcomings

12:18 11 Labs' New Voice Model: 11 V3

15:50 Report from a16z: AI Revenue Growth

23:14 Demo of the Week: AI in Brand Creation

Resources:

Read ‘What “Working” Means in the Era of AI Apps’: https://a16z.com/revenue-benchmarks-a...

Find Justine on X: https://x.com/venturetwins

Find Olivia on X: https://x.com/omooretweets

Tools Discussed:

Veo 3: https://gemini.google/overview/video-...

OpenAI: https://openai.com/chatgpt

11Labs (V3 voice model) – https://elevenlabs.io/

Ideogram (logo/image generation) – https://ideogram.ai/

Black Forest Labs/Flux Context (image editing via Krea) – https://www.krea.ai/

Flux Context demo (Krea launch post) – https://www.krea.ai/blog/flux-context

Hedra: https://www.hedra.com/

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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.

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Transcript

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Justine: AI video is completely taking over our social feeds, and it's happening at an insane pace. VO3 is like the ChatGPT moment for AI video, where we're suddenly seeing VO3 generations blowing up with millions of views. It feels like a whole new world of possibilities has opened up for AI storytelling, especially in video form. It's an exciting but exhausting time for AI creatives.

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Olivia: I've been following AI video for a few years now, and VO3 was the breakthrough we needed. It generates audio natively, so you can create full-featured videos with multiple characters in one prompt. It's limited to eight-second clips, but creators have found hacks to make longer videos by using characters like stormtroopers or Yetis, which don't require facial consistency.

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Justine: VO3 is available via API now, so platforms like Hydra and CREA offer access for around $10 a month. It's still expensive, but the results are amazing. We're seeing faceless channels explode, where AI-generated characters tell stories without needing a human face on camera.

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Olivia: OpenAI's advanced voice mode has also seen significant upgrades. It now includes human-like hesitations and inflections, making conversations feel more natural. They demoed it live, showing how realistic it sounds, even with touches like "um" and "uh."

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Justine: It's interesting that it took OpenAI so long to improve their voice mode. Maybe they were cautious after the initial controversy. Now, it's finally catching up with other models like Notebook LM, which set a high bar for realism.

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Olivia: Eleven Labs' V3 model is another big update. It allows for emotional tags and sound effects, making narrative storytelling more natural. They demoed a prompt with a Texas accent and interruptions, showcasing how it can create engaging conversations.

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Justine: We've seen some data on AI startup revenue. The median ARR for consumer startups at month 12 is $4.2 million, with the top quartile at $8.7 million. This is twice as fast as pre-AI era growth, driven by subscription models and high-value products.

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Olivia: Consumers are willing to pay for AI tools that enhance their creativity or solve specific problems. We're seeing a shift from B2B to B2C, with companies scaling faster than ever before. It's exciting to see how AI is democratizing access to tools that were once out of reach.

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Justine: I created a frozen yogurt brand called Melt using AI tools. I started with ChatGPT for ideation, then used Ideogram for the logo and CREA for product and store visuals. This shows how AI can help entrepreneurs launch brands quickly and effectively.

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Olivia: The future of branding is AI-assisted. From logos to product photos, AI makes it easier for anyone to create professional-looking brands without needing advanced technical skills. It's a powerful tool for the next generation of entrepreneurs.

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Justine: Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the a16z Podcast. Join us next time for more insights into the fast-moving world of consumer AI.