Love doesn't scale

Hi, it’s Lizette in San Francisco. Tech has a new manifesto. But first...Three things you need to know today: Israel is in talks with SpaceX [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s Lizette in San Francisco. Tech has a new manifesto. But first... Three things you need to know today: - Israel is in talks with [SpaceX]( to set up Starlink internet connections - The US is [stepping up efforts]( to keep advanced chips out of China - Funding for [AI startups]( reached $17.9 billion in the third quarter Marc Andreessen vs. the world Celebrity venture capitalist Marc Andreessen issued a call to action on Monday morning, California time. In a blog post titled “[The Techno-Optimist Manifesto](,” the Netscape co-founder excoriated the enemies of progress (“elites,” “luddites,” “communists”) and celebrated the potential for technology to advance human greatness. Like many of Andreessen’s big-picture essays on tech [over]( [the]( [years](, the message ricocheted throughout the industry this week. It drew high praise from executives like Shopify Inc.’s [Tobias Lütke]( and Coinbase Global Inc.’s Brian Armstrong, who called it [“a breath of fresh air.”]( Microsoft veteran and venture investor Steven Sinofsky, who represents VC firm Andreessen Horowitz on a few company boards, called out his [favorite section]( on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: “Technology is the glory of human ambition and achievement, the spearhead of progress, and the realization of our potential,” it read. And recently, the post continues, that technology has not been “properly glorified.” This frustration will be familiar to anyone following Andreessen’s anger over the [techlash]( of the last decade. The industry, to his dismay, hasn’t been held up as an unalloyed good since at least the 2016 US presidential election. That’s when Facebook — an Andreessen Horowitz investment that had an idealistic goal “to connect every person in the world” — came under fierce criticism for its role in [election misinformation](, and later, [violence overseas](. It didn’t help that the scrappy startups beloved by the media in the early internet era gradually became some of the most powerful institutions in the world — and subject to greater scrutiny. In his 5,200-word essay, written almost like a poem, Andreessen argues that rapid innovation is the best way to fix the world’s problems. His supporting arguments are a rundown of technological progress since the days of hunter gatherers: modern agriculture, vaccines, lightbulbs, air conditioning. And he makes the moral case for developing technologies like nuclear fusion and artificial intelligence. The narrative has “enemies,” too. These, [controversially]( include “social responsibility,” “trust and safety” and “tech ethics” — essentially regulators and other critics who get in the way of progress. Andreessen has had run-ins with the public sector before. Many of the companies his firm has bankrolled have hit regulatory hurdles, including Meta, Lyft Inc. and Coinbase. He’s particularly adamant that regulation should not stand athwart the development of artificial intelligence: “We believe any deceleration of AI will cost lives,” he writes. “Deaths that were preventable by the AI that was prevented from existing is a form of murder.” The problem, of course, is that unregulated tech booms often end badly. Facebook was forced to rein in its “move fast and break things” ethos, and crypto’s unmitigated excess wiped out regular peoples’ bank accounts, generating a lot of fraud charges along the way. (Andreessen did not invest in the disgraced exchange FTX, but it did back many startups in the now-beleaguered crypto industry.) The essay — at times inspiring, at times comically overwrought — might serve as an idealistic rallying cry for tech workers. It might also alienate the people Andreessen would like to win over with phrases like, “We believe in the truth” and “Love doesn’t scale,” not to mention a shoutout to [Ayn Rand](. But ultimately, it fails to make the case that tech doesn’t deserve scrutiny. The stakes of developing technology responsibly are even higher with AI and nuclear fusion than they were with social media and crypto. (Just [ask](Sam Altman.) Regulators are unlikely to be dissuaded this time around. —[Lizette Chapman](mailto:lchapman19@bloomberg.net) The big story This company speaks for the trees — kind of. TreeTag sensors, developed by a startup called ePlant, can give homeowners, farmers and forestry managers early warning [when trees are in danger](. Welcome to the “internet of trees.” One to watch [Watch the Bloomberg Technology TV analysis]( on US chip restrictions. Get fully charged Private health data is being exposed to tech companies through third-party trackers, in an apparent [violation of patient’s rights](, according to a new study. South Africa is opening an [antitrust inquiry]( into whether big tech firms are limiting local news companies’ ability to generate revenue. A Japanese AI startup that can [detect cognitive decline]( in older drivers raised $22 million in funding, including from an insurance company. Apple CEO Tim Cook showed up at a [Tencent gaming tournament]( in China. More from Bloomberg Live event: The Bloomberg Technology Summit in London will host top technology leaders, business executives, innovators and entrepreneurs on Oct. 24. The event will explore the rapid advance of AI, green technology, the escalation of cyber warfare and more. [Register here](. Get Bloomberg Tech weeklies in your inbox: - [Cyber Bulletin]( for coverage of the shadow world of hackers and cyber-espionage - [Game On]( for reporting on the video game business - [Power On]( for Apple scoops, consumer tech news and more - [Screentime]( for a front-row seat to the collision of Hollywood and Silicon Valley - [Soundbite]( for reporting on podcasting, the music industry and audio trends - [Q&AI]( for answers to all your questions about AI Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. 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