16 Minutes on the News #10: Amazon Healthcare, Oculus VR/AR, Google Quantum Supremacy?

Key takeaways

Amazon's entry into healthcare with Amazon Care marks a significant shift, testing traditional healthcare delivery models.
Advances in VR and AR technologies, especially through Oculus Quest, could lead to mainstream adoption and new immersive experiences.
Google's claim of quantum supremacy is a landmark achievement, but it does not mean classical computing is obsolete or that immediate threats to cryptography exist.

Summary

Amazon's Virtual Care and Its Implications

The podcast begins with an analysis of Amazon's launch of 'Amazon Care', a virtual medical clinic intended for its employees. The hosts discuss the significance of this move, highlighting the rising costs of healthcare for employers, which have now exceeded $20,000 for a family plan annually. Insights from A6NZ bio-partners Julie Yoo and Jorge Conde indicate that Amazon's entry into healthcare could disrupt traditional models, pushing the conversation around healthcare delivery further. Notably, Amazon is not building a comprehensive healthcare system internally; instead, they're partnering with existing providers, showcasing a strategy of 'buying versus building.' There are concerns about the integration of technology with human clinical services and the challenges that come with scaling up in a heavily regulated and complex market.

Oculus Connect: Advancements in VR and AR

The hosts then shift to discussing Facebook's Oculus Connect 6 event, where major advancements in VR and AR technology were announced. Chris Dixon breaks down the highlights, including the expansion of the Oculus Quest, which now supports PCVR games and boasts hand tracking capabilities. This progress indicates that VR and AR technology is maturing, with potential mainstream adoption on the horizon. The discussion covers the evolution toward smaller, glasses-like devices and the merging of VR and AR functionalities, emphasizing the transformative potential of these technologies in creating immersive experiences.

Google's Quantum Supremacy Claim and Its Realities

Finally, the podcast addresses the buzz around Google's claim of achieving 'quantum supremacy,' as reported in an accidentally leaked NASA paper. The discussion revolves around the definition of quantum supremacy and its implications, with insights from A6NZ bio-general partner Vijay Pande. He clarifies misconceptions surrounding the term, asserting that while quantum computing is real, it does not signal an immediate threat to cryptography. The focus shifts to understanding how quantum computers can solve specific problems faster than classical computers and the potential applications in various fields, such as quantum machine learning and engineering biology.

Show notes

Our news podcast, 16 Minutes -- where we quickly cover the top headlines of the week, the a16z way (why are these topics in the news; what's real, what's hype from our vantage point of tech trends) -- is now only available as its own show feed, separately from the main a16z Podcast... so be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts if you want our weekly news & tech take!

This is the tenth episode of the show, and this week we cover a variety of topics with the following a16z experts:

Amazon Care healthcare news this week that they're now providing a virtual medical clinic for employees, initially in Seattle, using telemedicine and in-home visits; what does their delivering healthcare actually mean for both incumbents and startups... and the future of medicine? -- with Julie Yoo and Jorge Conde
Oculus Connect 6, Facebook's annual developer event, where there were a number of announcements about devices, content, and more that could be key to the evolution of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) -- with Chris Dixon
Google quantum supremacy claim, as shared in a paper with/via NASA; what's fact, what's fiction about it; what does it actually mean (or not mean) for cryptography and other applications; and where are we, really, in quantum computing? -- with Vijay Pande

...hosted by Sonal Chokshi.

---

The views expressed here are those of the individual AH Capital Management, L.L.C. (“a16z”) personnel quoted and are not the views of a16z or its affiliates. Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources, including from portfolio companies of funds managed by a16z. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, a16z has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the enduring accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation.

This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only, and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by a16z. (An offering to invest in an a16z fund will be made only by the private placement memorandum, subscription agreement, and other relevant documentation of any such fund and should be read in their entirety.) Any investments or portfolio companies mentioned, referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in vehicles managed by a16z, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results. A list of investments made by funds managed by Andreessen Horowitz (excluding investments for which the issuer has not provided permission for a16z to disclose publicly as well as unannounced investments in publicly traded digital assets) is available at https://a16z.com/investments/.

Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see https://a16z.com/disclosures for additional important information.

Stay Updated:

Find a16z on YouTube: YouTube

Find a16z on X

Find a16z on LinkedIn

Listen to the a16z Show on Spotify

Listen to the a16z Show on Apple Podcasts

Follow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg

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.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.