Builder.ai’s human chatbot exposed + Amazon tests robot postmen

Hi ,

I wrote a new blog on LLM training data. The evidence that podcasts and podcast transcripts specifically constitute a significant part of LLM fine-tuning is pretty interesting.

Great interview with Andrew Amann about the future of human/AI relationships at work.

KVJ walked me through her AI HR mediator.

And a crazy conversation about cognitive ergonomics, which we will publish this week.

Let’s dive in.

Tip of the spear:

AI chatbot turns out to be 700 engineers in India LINK

• London startup Builder.ai reportedly used 700 engineers in India to impersonate its AI chatbot Natasha and manually complete the promised app building.

• These Indian engineers were not just posing as Natasha; they actually managed user chats and then built the entire app based on those prompts.

• This operation with hundreds of human workers performing the AI's supposed tasks is a clear example of "AI-washing" to deceive investors and customers.

US lifts 50-year supersonic flight ban LINK

• The White House ordered a repeal of the 1973 ban on overland supersonic flight, seeking to remove barriers and make the U.S. a leader in high-speed aviation.

• Recent "low-boom" supersonic jet technology, like NASA's X-59, addresses the noise nuisance concerns that originally caused the decades-long flight prohibition in America.

• The Federal Aviation Administration will develop a noise certification standard for supersonic aircraft, considering community acceptability, economic reasonableness, and technological feasibility for operations.

Walmart goes big with drone delivery expansion LINK

• Walmart and Alphabet's Wing will expand drone delivery to 100 more US stores next year, giving millions of homes access within 30 minutes.

• The expansion brings Wing's service to Walmart locations in cities like Atlanta and Houston, establishing the largest US drone delivery network, according to the companies.

• Initially, customers in new regions can order a limited selection of items for free delivery using Wing's app, unlike the broader options in Dallas.

Amazon tests humanoid robots for package delivery LINK

• Amazon is reportedly developing artificial intelligence software for humanoid robots designed for package delivery, testing them in a dedicated "humanoid park" in the US.

• The company is testing if humanoid robots in Rivian vans can speed drop-offs by making package deliveries while human drivers serve other addresses.

• Following tests in the "humanoid park," Amazon plans "field trips" for the robots to attempt delivering packages to homes in real-world environments.

SpaceX revenue to surpass NASA’s budget in 2026 LINK

• Elon Musk stated SpaceX's commercial revenue from space will exceed NASA’s entire budget in 2026, a milestone the CEO personally announced on X.

• SpaceX projects earning $15.5 billion in revenue during 2025, a notable jump from its estimated $11-13 billion generated the previous year by the company.

• This financial expansion is largely driven by its launch services with reusable Falcon 9 rockets and the Starlink satellite internet division, which now has millions of customers.

Prompt of the week:

Help me identify my personal circadian rhythm for optimal work. I want to know what time of day I'm most likely to do my best creative (deep, original thinking) work versus reactive (emails, meetings, admin) work. Ask me a series of questions about my daily energy patterns, focus levels, and mood throughout the day to determine when I should schedule each type of work.

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Keep it moving

TikTok US ban deadline extended again LINK

Tesla's head of Optimus humanoid robot program to leave firm LINK

OpenAI exposes secret propaganda campaigns LINK

Google starts testing ‘Search Live’ in AI Mode LINK

Scientists develop plastic that dissolves in seawater within hours LINK

Manus has kick-started an AI agent boom in China LINK

AirPods to get camera control and sleep detection LINK

ChatGPT now records meetings and connects to cloud storage LINK

Reddit now lets you hide content, like posts and comments, from your user profile LINK

Future AirPods could get lasers to read the wearer's lips & process requests LINK

Waymo robotaxis burned during protests LINK

Reddit sues Anthropic for scraping comments to train AI LINK

Microsoft unveils handheld console after 10 years of speculation LINK

Scaling Founders Series: 

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What I’m thinking about:

• Podcast Interviews Are Feeding the Machine Blog

• A New Framework to Build, Solve, and Explore Emerging Tech Blog

• This Daily Practice Made My Digital Life 10x Better Blog

• Escape the Algorithm: Own Your Audience in 90 Days Blog

• This New AI Inbox Hack Reignited My Dead Leads, And It’s Freakishly Easy YouTube

• Personal Branding for Reluctant Founders: My Journey and Insights Blog

• AI and the spectrum of consciousness YouTube

Top AI tools:

Moburst: LLM search optimization and growth LINK

Nametag: Verify people. Protect their accounts LINK

HackerverseAI: Accelerate your proof of concepts LINK

Strawberry: AI intelligent browser LINK

Brev: AI monitoring the tools you already use. LINK

AI smart marketing: AI automation and courses LINK

Particle41: AI consultants LINK

Teamble: Give and get 10x better feedback LINK

Tough Day: The smarter way to build self-reliant, high-performing teams. LINK

Nine Two Three: Custom AI Solutions For Established Brands & Funded Startups LINK

HipClip.ai: Upload one video and get AI-generated posts, carousels, and clips — discover your viral gems! Our AI will point you to the best ones. LINK

Warmstart.ai: an AI-driven platform that transforms cold emails into personalized, heartfelt messages, helping users cultivate enduring business relationships and maintain personal connections with ease. LINK

Wildcast: B2B influencers for the world’s top technology brands. LINK

Dreamteam IQ: helps marketing agencies and startups staff top overseas talent, providing cash-saving solutions for roles on elite marketing teams. LINK

Personal.ai: a platform that enables users to create customized AI personas trained on proprietary knowledge, enhancing productivity and innovation across various business functions. LINK

FivePointFive: Transform your wellness instantly with FivePointFive’s science-backed breathwork, personalized biometric insights, and music from your favorite artists. LINK

Warmstart.ai: A human-centric CRM that leverages AI to help founders build and activate high-trust networks for faster deal flow and warm intros. LINK

The Swarm: In the age of AI, relationships matter more than ever. Map your company networks and reveal hundreds of thousands of relationships you didn't know about. LINK

Dayo: A wellness-focused app that rewards users for spending less time on social media by offering real-world perks and brand discounts. LINK

Lovable: Idea to app in seconds. LINK

​thePause: an award-winning AI menopause coach offering 24/7 support, personalized insights, health tracking, and precision recommendations to empower women navigating menopause. LINK

MongoDB: a leading NoSQL database platform that provides developers with a flexible, scalable, and document-oriented database solution for modern applications. LINK

Quadratic: unlock the power of AI in spreadsheets. LINK

Soona: is your all-in-one platform to make, manage, and optimize photo + video content for all your ecommerce channels. LINK

Omneky: smarter digital ads for scale. LINK

Vapi: Voice AI agents for developers LINK

Thanks for listening.

-Ryan

p.s. When you are ready, here’s how I can help.

We have successfully booked podcast interviews for over 800 funded startup founders, entrepreneurs with exits, and C-suite executives. If you're ready to lead your company from the front, let Kitcaster handle your podcast scheduling and create a powerful stream of content for you and your brand.

I write about Revops, Product, and Founder-led marketing on Linkedin, Twitter, and my blog. 

And if you are in Denver, we have the #1 culture and discovery podcast dedicated to the Queen City of the Plains —> realgooddenver.com