Podcast•Apr 8, 2026•41 min
Ep. #89, Software Is the Killer App for AI with Bryan Cantrill
In this episode, hosts Ken Rimple, Charity Majors, and Jessica Kerr interview Bryan Cantrill, CTO and co‑founder of Oxide Computer, about the resurgence of building proprietary hardware and software stacks as a response to the cloud era. They discuss Oxide’s bold decision to design and manufacture its own rack‑mount servers, switches, and firmware, emphasizing the value of owning infrastructure for performance‑critical AI workloads, especially as generative AI drives massive CPU demand. Cantrill also reflects on the history of observability, his role in coining the term, and how unpredictable industry shifts—like the rapid rise of AI—require flexible, software‑first approaches.