Reed Albergotti covers tech and AI for Semafor — and before that, he co-wrote Wheelmen, the definitive book on Lance Armstrong and cycling’s doping era. When I interviewed him last summer about AI coaching, his advice was blunt: don’t let ChatGPT or Claude train you. Hire a human.
A year later, he changed his mind. Reed built his own AI personal trainer — he calls it Arnold — that reads his smart scale, tracks his diet, checks his calendar, and adjusts his workouts around travel and how he’s feeling that day. We dive into what changed in tools like Claude Cowork and Codex, how a self-described non-coder builds real software now, and why we’re all about to become app developers without realizing it.
Reed also owns up to waking up to a $500 OpenAI bill and tells the story of Semafor Intelligence — the AI tool he prototyped in an hour that became a real product (and created a job).
Plus: Tour de France talk. Pronunciation struggles, podium picks, and Tadej Pogačar’s absurd dominance. Whether you’re a proponent or skeptic of AI, or just AI-curious, this episode is for you.
Show notes should include:
Reed’s latest in Semafor: AI makes mistakes, too
Check out a conversation between Reed and his chatbot, Arnold.
Follow Reed on X
Follow Reed on LinkedIn
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