In this episode of Get the Check, the pod covers three stories: why everyone has a robotics data collection startup, whether AI is actually killing jobs or just making everyone work more (maybe both??), and Cognition's comeback after everyone thought the model players would cook them.

They start with robotics data labeling. As humanoid robots become a real thing, the race is on to get the training data to make them work. The problem is you can't just scrape Reddit like you could for GPT. Priya breaks down the data quality hierarchy: real sensor data from robots at the top, teleoperated data second, simulated data third, and egocentric POV footage (the kind you get by strapping a camera to someone's head) at the bottom. The pod covers the startups going after this: Shift just went viral on X for offering free NYC house cleanings in exchange for head-cam footage, Human Archive (YC W26) is collecting in developing countries, and Pronto, which started as the "Uber for maids in India" recently realized they were sitting on a data goldmine.

Next, the AI and layoffs conversation for probably the millionth time, but maybe not the last. The pod actually has a valid excuse to revisit it: Dario Amodei and Sam Altman have both walked back their apocalyptic predictions about AI job displacement, and Maya thinks it's because they're IPO-ing and need Joe Schmoe in North Carolina to buy their stock. Priya and Anika push back a little. Tune in to hear the whole debate. They dig into the Goldman Sachs CEO's NYT op-ed (AI won't eliminate 25% of jobs, it'll automate 25% of work hours), and breakdown Jevons paradox (short explainer video here: https://www.instagram.com/getthecheckpod/reel/DZBLK0lyVtq/). They also debrief the Corgi founder vs. Linear CEO beef.

Finally, Cognition raises $1B at a $26B valuation. Revenue went from $37M to $492M in 12 months, 90% of internal code at Cognition is now written by Devin (up from 13% in December), and they managed to turn around the Google / Windsurf drama and make it a happy ending. With Cursor in talks to get acquired by xAI for $60B, Cognition is set to be the last major independent coding harness. Maya says she thinks the market is big enough for even a third player to make it big.

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03:05 Why does everyone have a robotics data labeling startup

15:34 How China is doing data labeling differently

20:15 Shift goes viral on X

21:51 Does egocentric data even work

25:31 Sam Altman and Dario Amodei no longer believe in the job apocalypse

40:57 Cognition is so back

43:59 What is a coding harness