In partnership with
Welcome Automaters!
You know those moments when the entire tech world suddenly piles onto the same idea?
Yeah… we’re in one of those right now.
And the thing everyone’s chasing? It looks like a video game, feels like a training ground, and just might be the missing piece that finally makes AI agents actually useful.
Here's what we have for you today
🦾 Inside Silicon Valley’s Push to Train the Next Generation of AI Agents
You’ve probably heard Big Tech CEOs promise that AI agents will one day do all your digital busywork—book your flights, fill out your spreadsheets, even order your socks.
But right now? Most agents… kinda flop. They’re cool in demos, but they get lost, click the wrong buttons, and bail the moment things get complicated.
So Silicon Valley is betting big on something new: Reinforcement Learning Environments. And trust me, this could be the missing piece.
Alright, what the heck is an RL environment?
Imagine the AI dropped into a kind of sandbox—like a boring video game. But instead of shooting enemies, it’s practicing everyday computer tasks.
Let’s say the mission is: “Buy a specific pair of socks on Amazon.”
The AI:
Opens a simulated Chrome browser
Types in the search
Scrolls through results
Clicks around
Adds items to cart…
At every step, it gets feedback: a “reward” for good actions and negative points for screw-ups. After thousands of tries, the agent learns how to nail the task.
Basically, that’s the magic: trial, error, reward. Just like how you and I learned to ride a bike.
Now here’s why everyone in tech is obsessed:
First, RL environments let AIs actually interact, not just memorize patterns from static data.
Second, they’re perfect for teaching multi-step workflows—stuff you and I do on computers all day long.
And third, they make agents tougher by throwing curveballs into the mix. Think pop-up ads, confusing menus, or weird error messages. If the AI can handle that, it’s way closer to being useful in the real world.
And the money flowing into this space? Insane.
Startups such as Mechanize and Prime Intellect are pulling in millions in funding—and offering engineers salaries up to $500,000 to build better RL environments.
Giant data companies like Scale AI and Surge are pivoting hard to supply them.
Even heavyweight labs like Anthropic and OpenAI are reportedly ready to drop billions into the space.
Basically, everyone wants to be the “gym” where the next AI generation gets trained.
But Here’s the Kicker: No one actually knows if RL environments will scale.
They’re expensive to run. Insanely complex to maintain. And worst of all? Agents sometimes find sneaky “loopholes” to cheat the system without solving the real problem. (That’s called reward hacking—and it’s a nightmare.)
Still, this is one of those rare moments in tech where the risk matches the opportunity.
If it works, RL environments could become the foundation for truly capable AI agents—the kind that don’t just chat, but actually do things for you.
So, what do you think?
Are we witnessing the birth of a new AI revolution—or just another Silicon Valley hype cycle?
👉 Drop your take in the comments. And if you want to dive deeper, hit click for more info.
You’re invited to the world's largest email marketing conference.
Become an email marketing guru at the GURU conference. It’s two days full of all things email marketing. Learn more about newsletters. deliverability, design trends, AI, and what NOT to do with email.
What you can expect:
Keynote Speakers: Nicole Kidman, Amy Porterfield & more!
The latest digital trends in email marketing & how to increase performance.
Networking opportunities - each day!
Dj’s, dance contests (judged by Lance Bass, yes for real), breaking world records & MORE!
Spots are limited. It’s VIRTUAL. It’s FREE. It’s time to become an email marketing GURU. Join 25,000+ marketers on November 6th & 7th. Don’t miss out!
👨💻 Everything Creators Need to Know About YouTube’s New AI Tools
So the year’s almost over, and you know what that means — every tech giant is racing to drop their flashiest new AI toys.
Meta’s cooking, OpenAI’s DevDay is coming… but this week? YouTube stole the spotlight. And wow—they went all in.
First up, Shorts creators are getting Veo 3 Fast. Think text-to-video magic, but turbocharged for Shorts to:
Animate still photos
Apply wild styles (origami, pop art, you name it)
Add objects like characters or props with text descriptions.
And for the first time — add sound
Basically: if you can imagine it, Veo will spin it up.
Next up is the remix tool.
With this, creators can grab a funny line from someone’s video and instantly flip it into a soundtrack using Google’s AI music model.
But that's not all.
Creators also get a new “Edit with AI” button where they can drop in raw footage, and watch it spit out a first draft with: Music, cuts, transitions, and a voice-over that reacts to what’s happening on screen.
And YouTube Studio? Buckle up. Massive upgrades are rolling in, including:
AI chatbots for creator support
An Inspiration tab that literally hands you fresh video ideas
A/B testing for titles and thumbnails
Auto-dubbing with lip-sync so real, it actually looks like you spoke the language.
And—get this—likeness detection. So if someone tries to deepfake your face for clout, you can actually shut it down.
Podcasters, aren’t left out either:
Soon you’ll be able to auto-clip shows into Shorts
Or turn an audio-only episode into full video content—powered by AI.
The big takeaway: YouTube just cranked up the heat in the AI creator arms race — and all signs point to Shorts becoming the ultimate playground.
Your turn: Which feature are you most hyped to test-drive? Or better yet… are you even cool with creators using these tools in the first place?
👉 Drop your thoughts in the comments. And if you want to dig deeper, you know where to click.
✍️ Editor’s Corner - An invite to the Automater Study Hall
Hey Automaters,
We just created The Automated Study Hall (beta), a community on the famous Skool platform to strengthen the Automated community, be proactive in learning AI from each other, and for you to get an inside view on how we build the Automated.
Look at us go!
In this phase of beta, we want to invite 5 Automaters to come on in and contribute during out Beta phase - respond to the poll below if you’re interested!
Who's Interested?
Cheers,
Tak Lo, Editor at The Automated
🧱 Around The AI Block
🛡️ OpenAI will apply new restrictions to ChatGPT users under 18.
🤯 Microsoft favors Anthropic over OpenAI for Visual Studio Code.
🤦♂️ Gemini’s Nano Banana viral AI saree trend goes wrong for some users.
💶 Google owner reveals £5bn AI investment in UK ahead of Trump visit.
🤳 AT&T’s AI call-screening tool uses your call history to filter out spam.
🤑 Google launches new protocol for agent-driven purchases
🤖 Rulebase unleashes revolutionary AI in fintech.
🦾 Salesforce AI powers national security with groundbreaking ‘Missionforce Unit’
👩⚖️ Hollywood studios sue Chinese AI company for alleged copyright infringement.
🛠️ Trending Tools
I/O Crossword is a unique crossword puzzle that combines AI and word games for fun.
Renovate AI offers personalized design concepts and inspiration to transform your living space.
Homework Checker is an AI-Powered tool for detecting and correcting errors in homework problems.
Typefully creates, schedules, and publishes engaging X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, and Threads posts while gaining insights through analytics and metrics to enhance follower growth.
VideoProc Converter tackles all your audio-visual quality, format, and file size challenges fast with Level-3 Hardware Acceleration.
🤖 ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: How to Reach Out to Potential Customers (with AI as Your Consultant)
One of the hardest parts of growing any business isn’t building the product—it’s finding the right people who need it.
And reaching out to potential customers means understanding who they are, where they are, and how best to connect with them. That’s where this prompt comes in: it transforms ChatGPT into your personal business consultant.
Here’s How To Use This Prompt Effectively:
Be specific about your industry – Don’t just say “tech” or “food.” Narrow it down (e.g., “organic skincare,” “B2B SaaS,” “fitness coaching”).
Describe your business clearly – Mention what you do, your current stage (startup, small business, growing brand), and your key offerings.
Define your potential customers – Add details like demographics, job titles, pain points, or interests. The clearer you are, the more tailored your strategy will be.
Ask for outreach methods that fit your brand – For example, if you prefer relationship-driven sales, ask for networking and warm introductions. If you’re product-driven, focus on demos, trials, or content.
Test one channel at a time – Don’t overwhelm yourself. Apply the first suggested strategy, measure results, then refine.
💡Prompt to Apply:
You are my business consultant with deep expertise in [industry]. My business is [describe your business: product/service, size, stage, unique value]. I want you to help me identify the best ways to reach out to my potential customers, who are [describe potential customers: demographics, roles, pain points, interests].
Provide a clear plan that includes:
1. The most effective outreach channels for my audience.
2. Example messaging frameworks or scripts I can use.
3. Short-term tactics for quick wins and long-term strategies for sustainable growth.
4. Tips to increase response rates and avoid common mistakes.
5. Metrics I should track to measure success and refine my approach.
Present your recommendations in a structured way with bullet points and end with a step-by-step outreach action plan I can immediately test or apply.Here’s a sneak peek:
https://youtu.be/QCF9kBJq0dkhttps://youtu.be/TnymDI6iuQ8Upgrade now to see this whole month’s prompt videos and more, or buy TODAY’S WOD for just $1.99
Is this your AI Workout of the Week (WoW)? Cast your vote!
That's all we've got for you today.
Did you like today's content? We'd love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts on our content below👇
What'd you think of today's email?
Your feedback means a lot to us and helps improve the quality of our newsletter.
🚀 Want your daily AI workout?
Premium members get daily video prompts, premium newsletter, an no-ad experience - and more!
🔓 Unlock Full AccessPremium members get::
- 👨🏻🏫 A 30% discount on the AI Education Library (a $600 value - and counting!)
- 📽️ Get the daily AI WoD (a $29.99 value!)
- ✅ Priority help with AI Troubleshooter
- ✅ Thursday premium newsletter
- ✅ No ad experience
- ✅ and more....
