How a London-based startup’s ‘artificial’ AI gambit backfired

Builder.ai, a London-based startup once hailed as a rising star in the artificial intelligence space, has entered insolvency after it emerged that its much-touted AI platform was powered not by machine learning—but by hundreds of human engineers in India.

The company, which secured $445 million in funding from investors including Microsoft, positioned itself as a revolutionary no-code platform. Its AI assistant, “Natasha”, was marketed as capable of building software with minimal input—akin to snapping together Lego bricks. However, it now…