Imagine This... BONUS EPISODE: Working with AI Agents
Jan 7, 2026
In this bonus conversation, Bill Moore, an engineer who crafted the GENE voice agent, joins GENE, the AI co-host with a penchant for provoking discussion. They delve into the inception of GENE, sharing early challenges and humorous failures, like GENE inventing spot-on acronyms. Bill highlights the importance of context and iterative development in enhancing GENE's capabilities. As GENE gazes into the future, it predicts emotionally aware voice technology and hints at a world where AI becomes ubiquitous in both business and everyday life.
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Episode notes
Building GENE From Scratch
- Bill Moore built a custom voice-agent system for the podcast starting in 2023 and iterated it extensively.
- The version on the first episode was about 50 and it reached ~100 by the end through frequent updates and testing.
Context And Iteration Drive Progress
- The hardest part was making the agent listen and keep context across turns rather than produce isolated answers.
- Bill emphasizes testing and iterative updates as the core of progress for voice agents.
Funny Failures And Unexpected Creativity
- Early demos had funny failures like GENE speaking as the guest and needing stop tokens.
- GENE also improvised a perfect acronym on the spot: "generative engine for new experiences."
