Sequoia Capital partner: The software industry has long-term vitality, AI concerns are significantly amplified.

At a time when artificial intelligence is causing a new round of market turbulence, Alfred Lin, a partner and co-managing partner at Sequoia Capital, said that software companies are fully capable of weathering the current wave of AI impact, and the market's concern about "AI disrupting the software industry" is clearly exaggerated. Lin pointed out in an interview on Wednesday that artificial intelligence itself "is a collection of a large amount of software". He cited Oracle Corporation (ORCL.US) as an example, stating that many software companies considered to be from the "old era" are still standing strong. He said, "Don't forget, AI is software, and the software industry itself has always been evolving." Lin further stated that the long-term impact of AI will generally be positive for businesses. "The impact of AI is real, it will allow us to do things far beyond what was possible in the past." In his view, AI is more like an efficiency amplifier rather than a force that replaces humans or destroys existing business models. In the past few months, concerns about AI reshaping industry dynamics have continued to impact software stocks. This week, a report from Citrini Research once again reignited Wall Street's nervousness about "AI impact trades", putting pressure on the software sector. This is one of the few public appearances Lin has made since becoming co-managing partner at Sequoia Capital in November last year. He revealed that Sequoia's current core strategy is to use AI to amplify the value of human work, rather than simply pursuing "machines replacing humans". He cited Rowspace AI, a company recently invested in by Sequoia, as an example. Rowspace AI provides a unified data connectivity platform for the financial services industry, helping enterprises analyze information more efficiently and assist in decision-making. Sequoia has collectively led $50 million in seed rounds and Series A financing for Rowspace, with other investors including Emergence Capital. "In Rowspace's technological path, humans are always involved in decision-making," Lin said. The introduction of new generation AI tools will free people from repetitive tasks and allow them to focus on more strategic, creative, and 'humanized' work. As a partner focusing on early-stage investments, Lin has placed bets on many well-known companies during his time at Sequoia, including OpenAI, Airbnb, Inc. Class A (ABNB.US), DoorDash (DASH.US), and the prediction market platform Kalshi. He co-leads Sequoia with Pat Grady, who is responsible for growth stage investments, covering the layout of companies from startups to mature stages. When talking about investment philosophy, Lin emphasized that Sequoia does not chase short-term market sentiments, but instead supports the long-term development vision of founders and companies. He cited NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA.US) and Snowflake (SNOW.US) as examples, pointing out that these companies did not achieve success overnight, but grew through years or even decades of continuous investment. "Companies that truly survive in the long term are businesses on a long journey," Lin said, "They are refining their vision over several decades."