Talk · 39m · YC AI Startup School 2025

Andrej Karpathy: Software Is Changing (Again)

Andrej Karpathy · on Y Combinator

How writing software in English changes what you build and how you should design AI tools.

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What you'll take away

  • Software 1.0 is code, 2.0 is trained weights, 3.0 is prompts written in English
  • Treat LLMs like an operating system with odd strengths and odd memory gaps
  • Build partial-autonomy tools with an autonomy slider, not fully hands-off agents
  • Keep the generate-then-verify loop short so a human can check the work quickly

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