a16z Chief Legal & Policy Officer Jai Ramaswamy sits down with Anne Neuberger, a16z General Partner and Head of Global Affairs, and Stephen Goldsmith, former Mayor of Indianapolis and Deputy Mayor of New York City, to discuss the launch of the Securing America’s Infrastructure Foundation and its mission to help communities protect critical infrastructure using AI. Announced by a16z with $25 million in committed funding, the new organization will bring AI-powered cyber defense to small cities, school districts, and rural hospitals at no cost.
They discuss how AI changes the economics of cybersecurity, making defense more affordable and effective through automated threat detection, vulnerability patching, and shared security resources.
They also explore the challenges of deploying AI in public institutions, from limited budgets and technical expertise to privacy, public trust, and the importance of working closely with local communities.
Topics covered:
00:53: SAIF’s mission to bring AI-powered cyber defense to communities
01:47: Lessons from bringing new technology to city government
05:32: Protecting rural hospitals and essential public services
09:02: How AI changes cyberattacks and defense
13:53: Making effective cybersecurity more affordable
16:32: Using digital twins to test fixes before deploying them
19:44: Overcoming budget, expertise, and procurement barriers
26:34: Building public trust through privacy and transparency
Resources:
Learn more about Securing America's Infrastructure Foundation: https://secureourinfra.org/
Subscribe to the a16z AI Policy Brief: https://a16zpolicy.substack.com/
Follow Stephen on X: https://x.com/GoldsmithOnGov
Follow Anne Neuberger on X: https://x.com/AnneNeuberger
Follow Jai Ramaswamy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jai-ramaswamy-85a77675
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. Please note that a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed in this podcast. For more details, including a link to our investments, please see a16z.com/disclosures.
