A new a16z report looks at which AI companies startups are actually paying for

A new report from venture capital firm a16z examines the AI companies that startups are investing in. The report focuses on the "AI application layer," which refers to AI-native companies that provide specific services or tools, rather than general-purpose AI platforms. The report found that startups are primarily spending on AI companies that offer solutions for tasks like language processing, computer vision, and predictive analytics. Some of the top AI application layer companies identified in the report include OpenAI, Anthropic, Cohere, and Stability AI. The report also highlighted the growing importance of "prompt engineering" as a key skill for startups, as they look to leverage large language models like GPT-3 in their products and services. Overall, the report provides insights into the current landscape of AI adoption and investment among startups, and highlights the emerging trends and technologies that are attracting the most attention and funding in the AI ecosystem.