In this episode of the TEACHMEDEFI Podcast, Sohejl sits down with Dr. Steven Waterhouseβalso known as Sevenβto explore the evolution of artificial intelligence, from its early machine learning roots to the emerging frontiers of decentralized AI. Drawing on his experience across venture capital, blockchain, and deep tech, Steven shares insights into the future of AI infrastructure, creativity, and compute.
Steven Waterhouse is the Co-Founder and CEO of Orchid Labs, a decentralized VPN protocol. Previously, he was a Partner at Pantera Capital, one of the earliest crypto-focused venture funds, and co-founded the Digital Currency Fund at Fortress Investment Group alongside Mike Novogratz. He also co-founded RPX Corp (Nasdaq: RPXC) and served as Director at Sun Microsystems during the early internet boom. Steven holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cambridge and brings decades of experience at the intersection of deep tech, crypto, and infrastructure.
The conversation examines why privacy, verifiability, and trust are becoming critical for the next generation of AI applications. Steven and Sohejl also reflect on the philosophical implications of machine creativity, how AI can amplify rather than replace human originality, and what kinds of new software stacks are needed to support decentralized intelligence.
They discuss the economic constraints shaping AI development todayβfrom the rising cost of compute to the role of nuclear energyβand how limitations can spark innovation. This episode takes a sober but visionary look at how AI may shape our digital and creative future.
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Guest Links / Additional Material:
Nazare Ventures: https://nazare.io/
Steven Waterhouse on X: https://x.com/deseventral
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
03:00 - Stevenβs Journey in Tech and AI
10:00 - The Evolution of AI and Its Current State
12:20 - Are We Moving Towards AGI or Not?
16:05 - Creativity, Disobedience and IntelligenceΒ
20:45 - AI as a Tool for Human Creativity?
28:00 - Decentralized AI: Opportunities and Challenges
31:30 - Privacy and Verifiability in Decentralized AI
38:15 - Constraints, Progress and Investment in AI
41:44 - The Need for Compute and Energy
46:10 - Nuclear Energy and AI
50:00 - How To Keep Up With The Progress in AI?
54:00 - Whatβs The Most Overhyped Thing in AI?
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Disclaimer:
TEACHMEDEFI is a provider of entertainment and opinions. We are neither a broker/dealer nor an investment advisor. This is not a service for issuing or receiving financial or investment advice. None of our content constitutes a recommendation β or should be understood as such β to conduct transactions in securities, cryptocurrencies, or crypto-assets, or to engage in any of the investment strategies presented in our discussions or provided content. We do not provide personalized recommendations or views on whether a stock, cryptocurrency, crypto-asset, or investment approach is suitable for the financial needs of a particular individual.
