Is AI the Fourth Pillar of Infrastructure?

Infrastructure doesn’t go away — it layers. And today, AI is emerging as a new foundational layer alongside compute, storage, and networking.

Erik Torenberg interviews a16z’s Martin Casado, Jennifer Li, and Matt Bornstein breaking down how infrastructure is evolving in the age of AI — from models and agents to developer tools and shifting user behavior.

We dive into what infra actually means today, how it differs from enterprise, and why software itself is being disrupted. Plus, we explore the rise of technical users as buyers, what makes infra companies defensible, and how past waves — from the cloud to COVID to AI — are reshaping how we build and invest.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

01:49 Defining Infrastructure in the AI Era

03:15 The Fourth Pillar: AI's Role in Infrastructure

06:01 Historical Context and Evolution of Infrastructure

08:20 The Impact of AI on Software Development

10:18 Investment Strategies and Market Dynamics

17:02 Developer Tools and AI Integration

20:57 Defensibility in the AI Landscape

22:16 Founders' Intuition and Industry Progress

22:26 Defensibility in AI Infrastructure

24:00 Expansion and Contraction Phases in the Industry

24:35 The Role of Layers in Market Consolidation

27:43 The Future of AI Models and Specialization

29:27 The Decade of AI Agents

29:54 Context Engineering and New Infrastructure

34:23 The Evolution of Software Development

42:13 Horizontal vs. Vertical Integration in AI

43:54 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Resources:

Find Martin on X: https://x.com/martin_casado

Find Jennifer on X: https://x.com/JenniferHli

Find Matt on X: https://x.com/BornsteinMatt

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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.