BUILT 2 SCALE | AI NEWS | Episode 34
Welcome back to Built 2 Scale. Every week, Matty and Scotty cut through the noise to bring you the AI developments that actually matter: the moves reshaping markets, the strategies redefining competition, and the shifts you need to understand to stay ahead.
This week: Claude's watershed moment, the shift from chatbots to genuine co-pilots, and Apple's engine swap with Google.
Let's dive in.
Claude Opus 4.5: The Inflection Point
Claude released Opus 4.5 in November. Four weeks later: this is one of the biggest leaps anyone's seen. Even the smart naysayers converted. 2026 is the year you lean in or get left behind.
Claude Code: Rebuilding Businesses in a Week
Engineers are rebuilding DocuSign competitors and CRMs in weekends. Claude Code accesses legacy systems and makes meaningful changes to complex codebases with prompts. The Claude team used Claude to build Claude Code.
Claude Cowork: AI for Everyone
Claude just launched Cowork. Claude Code for non-technical people. Access your file system, send messages, automate tasks from your phone. This is the shift from chatbots to genuine co-pilot. Microsoft promised it. Claude delivered.
OpenAI's Health Play
A month ago: "Don't use us for medical advice." Last week: ChatGPT Health. Connect your medical records. The strategy? Turn ChatGPT into a super app like WeChat. Payments, social, chat, health. All in one.
Meta Acquires Manis for $5 Billion
Zuck raided China for Manis, the long form reasoning model. Meta can't build, but they can acquire. Manis was best at authentic tasks and computer use. Now paired with Meta's cash and compute.
Apple and Google: The Engine Swap
Apple admitted defeat on AI. Siri will be powered by Google's Gemini. This is Porsche using a Ferrari engine. Why Google? OpenAI overspent. Elon is too rogue. Google is the safe bet.
The Takeaway:
2026 is the year AI moves from chatbots to co-pilots. Claude delivered. OpenAI is building a super app. Meta is acquiring talent. Apple admitted they're behind. The inflection point is here. Lean in or get left behind.
Are you using AI to get work done yet? Which tool is changing your workflow?
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