# Gergely Orosz argues California's noncompete ban helped make SV the tech hub

> Original title: It's not too unlikely to think that if it wasn't for California's noncompetes, we might not have LLMs or AI today - as in it could have e...

- Source: Gergely Orosz
- Published: 2026-11-06T22:52:59.000Z
- Bad Influence: https://badinfluence.news/items/jdug5o1bcae6wyi8qja0l86nq
- Original: https://x.com/GergelyOrosz/status/2118839087671210437

## Summary

Gergely Orosz argues that without California's ban on noncompete agreements, LLMs and AI could have been delayed by years or decades, or developed elsewhere. He adds that Silicon Valley might not be the tech industry's innovation hub without the ban. Mitsuhiko calls California's liquid labour market and lack of noncompetes an enormous driver of innovation.

## Post

It's not too unlikely to think that if it wasn't for California's noncompetes, we might not have LLMs or AI today - as in it could have easily been delayed by years/decades, or productionized elsewhere

And SV would NOT be the innovation hub + center of  tech industry like today

## Quoted post @mitsuhiko

> I find it fascinating to see how many people woke up to the realization that California has a liquid labour market and no non competes. This is one of the most amazing things that creates enormous amount of innovation over there. I'm not sure what miracle created that environment, but it's amazing. I wish more countries had the balls.

https://x.com/mitsuhiko/status/2118701786550673517