You’re reading AI at the Top - Our new series on Sundays, where we share how leading companies and their executives use AI in business.
Reid Hoffman co-founded LinkedIn and Inflection AI, and has invested in dozens of AI companies (including an early investment in OpenAI). He is also a member of the PayPal Mafia, a podcast host, and an author. That’s some resume!
His dual role as an entrepreneur and AI pioneer gives him unique insights only a few executives possess.
In today’s AI at the Top, we break down Hoffman's AI philosophy, how he uses AI, and the specific tools he relies on every day.
What is Hoffman’s take on AI?
Hoffman reframes the entire AI conversation with a simple shift in language: “AI is not just artificial intelligence, it's amplification intelligence. It gives us superpowers.”
At the heart of this philosophy is what Hoffman calls Superagency: the idea that agency isn't just what you can control externally, but how you perceive and respond to change internally.
When Uber first launched, many felt a loss of agency because they weren't driving. But widespread adoption proved it was actually a gain of agency. You can get home safely after some drinks, avoid parking hassles, and have instant transportation access.
It stems from a perspective that we are too worried about how AI might replace our jobs. But if you shift the narrative and replace fear with curiosity, we will learn how AI transforms jobs and creates new opportunities.
Take the internet and Airbnb, for example. There’s no way you can create a product like Airbnb without the internet.
Now with AI capabilities, think what you can possibly create that was only an imagination once.