2025 was the year AI stopped feeling chaotic and started feeling buildable. In this Lightcone episode, the YC partners break down the surprises of the year, from shifting model dominance to why the real opportunity is moving back to the application layer, and why the next wave of AI startups may be just getting started.
00:00 Intro
00:50 Anthropic models are most preferred in the latest YC batch
05:36 Why aren’t there more AI consumer apps?
07:01 Swapping models in and out is becoming the norm
09:08 The big AI bubble question
14:37 Space as the solve for data centers and energy
17:29 Interest in starting model companies
21:01 Vibe coding became a big category
22:23 AI economy has stabilized
23:38 The AI 2027 piece
25:49 Founders still need to hire teams
29:02 Outro
Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply
Work at a startup: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs
