Built 2 Scale · 21 Apr 2025 · 1h 15m
Scott Wilcox of W Build and Matt Parrott of Build Pass discuss the intersection of AI, robotics, and construction, focusing on rebuilding efforts in California following wildfires. They highlight the labor shortage crisis, the potential of autonomous robots from companies like Figure AI and Unitree, and the strategic use of AI agents to streamline construction workflows. The episode also covers recent developments in the AI landscape, including OpenAI's image generation, xAI's acquisition of X, and the rise of agentic AI tools like Devin and Manus.
Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.
Engineering & simulationDevin
The AI software programming assistant autonomously fixes bugs and issues by integrating with the team's project management tool (Linear), allowing it to work on feedback in the background without human intervention.
“Now Devon is fully integrated with linear, you can go through all of the feedback coming in, all of the bugs, and it can just start working on them in the background fully autonomously.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 47:30
Running the companyCustom GPT
The speaker created a custom GPT containing the company's core values to serve as a decision filter for the team, helping them align actions with mission statements.
“One thing I did straight away was I put all our core values into a custom GPT, um, and then I'm just going to share that with my team. And just, if you've got a question, run it by our core value, GPT, and just hopefully it'll help you spit out the right answer.”
Speaker 1 · Hear it at 34:48
Engineering & simulationLovable
The speaker used the AI tool Lovable to build the podcast's website on a plane, generating code from prompts and connecting it to a database in minutes.
“I built the website for this podcast on the plane on my phone, using a tool called Lovable, which is really cool. I did a post about that. But absolutely, Qantas not having Wi-Fi on a 16 hour flight is that's atrocious.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 1:06:55
Engineering & simulationBuild Pass AI
An AI tool within the Build Pass platform analyzes construction drawings to identify changes in revision numbers and automatically sends updates to subcontractors.
“We've got a drawings management tool, so we use AI to look at all of the revision numbers inside of the drawings. So when you get a new pack of 40 drawings from the architect, you just get the folder, you drop it onto our AI. We work out spots, what has changed and we can send that all the updates to the subbies.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 1:11:13
Engineering & simulationBuild Pass AI
An AI agent within Build Pass autonomously generates site diaries by pulling data from previous records, weather, and site logs, allowing users to chat with the report for updates.
“So we're building our 1st agent product into build pass. It basically, instead of having to go and let's say using the writing aside diary, rather than finding the data from different parts of it, you just say, write me my side diary, and it will go off autonomously.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 1:11:13
early-stage companies
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