The Comunicano for Tuesday July 2nd 2025
Turnabout Tuesday
Apologies for the late start, folks. I’d love to tell you it was something glamorous—like traffic on the Strip or a last-minute wine tasting. But no, it felt like the usual trifecta: lawyers, guns, and money. And no, not in that order. But I digress
Today it feels like the entire internet suddenly turned into the album art for Dark Side of the Moon, but instead of a prism and light beam, it’s dollar bills, bots, and bandwidth being refracted?
Yeah. Me too.
Let’s talk about money—because this week, it’s not just the root of all evil—it’s the API call of all business models.
First, Cloudflare just went full “paywall for robots.” They rolled out Pay Per Crawl—think of it as a velvet rope for bots, where AI scrapers from OpenAI, Google, and anyone with a large language model have to cough up coin before they touch your content. HTTP 402—payment required—isn’t just a nerdy status code anymore. It’s the new toll booth on the information superhighway.
And you know who’s really feeling the groove? Meta. WhatsApp’s pricing model just hit a new level of monetization jazz—moving from conversation-based to per-message billing. They’re slicing it thinner than prosciutto at a Milanese deli. Marketing, utility, authentication—all à la carte, and if you don’t categorize right, your comms budget gets chewed up like Pink Floyd vinyl under a DJ’s needle.
Meanwhile, the AI elite are making rock star money. We’re talking $10 million packages, $100 million sign-ons. It’s the “Stairway to Heaven” of comp plans. But here’s the kicker—some of the best minds don’t want the money. They want meaning. Autonomy. Purpose. (Somewhere, a VC just spat out his third oat milk espresso.)
Amazon? They’re automating warehouses faster than you can say, “Comfortably Numb.” Tinder? Facial verification, because swiping without trust is just another botnet waiting to happen. And Google? They’re flooding classrooms with AI tools faster than you can grade a paper.
So yeah—if Roger Waters were writing Money in 2025, it’d be about charging bots, pricing messages, sim swaps, robot labor, and AI-porn chatbots with dynamic dialogue trees.
Welcome to the machine. Welcome to THE COMUNICANO!!!
Andy Abramson
Money Watch
Cloudflare Launches “Pay Per Crawl” to Let Sites Charge AI Bots (Cloudflare Blog)
Cloudflare has introduced a new feature called Pay Per Crawl, allowing websites to charge AI companies when their bots scrape content. Through cryptographic bot verification and HTTP 402 responses, site owners can block, allow, or bill bots per request. Cloudflare acts as the merchant of record, streamlining payouts. This gives publishers new leverage in an era where AI tools benefit from scraped data without sharing revenue. The move supports a shift toward programmable, policy-based access that respects creators and monetizes valuable content. Read more here
Cloudflare Gives Publishers More AI Bot Controls (New York Times)
In tandem with Pay Per Crawl, Cloudflare now enables automatic blocking of AI bots on ad-supported pages and offers a managed robots.txt system. These tools aim to curb the growing impact of AI crawlers—like those from OpenAI or Google—which scrape sites with minimal traffic returns. Publishers can now choose who gets access and get compensated if they allow scraping. The update has already seen adoption by over one million sites and is being welcomed by news organizations looking to protect their digital business models in the AI age. Read more here
VoIP Watch
WhatsApp Business shifts to per‑message pricing (Zoho)—Starting July 1, 2025, WhatsApp Business will move from conversation-based billing to per‑message charges, with fees determined by message type (Marketing, Utility, Authentication) and the recipient’s country code. Previously free 24‑hour customer service window utility messages will now be exempt from charges within that timeframe. Meta is also rolling out volume‑based tiers for utility templates—higher monthly volume yields lower rates. Zoho will pass through Meta’s rates plus applicable VAT (~3%). Businesses are advised to categorize templates properly, track delivery status closely, and manage template usage to optimise costs. Read more here
AI Watch
AI Talent Wars Drive Multi‑Million Dollar Salaries at Tech Giants (Financial Times)
—Top artificial intelligence engineers are now commanding superstar‑level pay, with annual compensation at leading firms like OpenAI and Meta reaching between three million and ten million dollars. Amid fierce competition, Meta has reportedly offered one hundred million dollar signing bonuses to lure top talent, prompting OpenAI to reevaluate its own pay structures. Despite lucrative offers, many researchers prioritize the quality of their work, team leadership, and mission alignment over money. Smaller firms like Hugging Face and Aleph Alpha are gaining ground by offering more autonomy and values‑driven culture, while industries beyond tech—such as insurance and finance—also step up AI hiring. Read more here
Cursor launches browser-based AI coding agent manager (TechCrunch)—Cursor, the AI-powered code IDE from Anysphere, launched a web app to orchestrate background coding agents via desktop or mobile browser. Users can assign agents natural-language tasks—like writing features or debugging—monitor progress, and merge changes back into codebases. This complements existing Slack integration and IDE workflow. Cursor recently surpassed 500 million ARR and is used by over half of the Fortune 500, including Nvidia, Uber, and Adobe. The Pro tier (20 dollars/month) now includes background agents; a new Ultra tier (200 dollars/month) offers 20 times more usage. Anysphere anticipates AI agents will handle up to 20 percent of engineering tasks by 2026. Read more here
The Path to Medical Superintelligence (Microsoft AI)—Microsoft has introduced the Medical AI Diagnostic Orchestrator, a system capable of analyzing complex clinical cases with 85 percent accuracy—far surpassing unaided human physicians. The AI tackles multi-layered diagnostic reasoning, marking a leap toward medical superintelligence designed to assist doctors. Tested against challenging scenarios from the New England Journal of Medicine, it demonstrates how AI can reduce diagnostic error and healthcare costs. While not yet ready for deployment in real hospitals, Microsoft plans rigorous validation steps before moving toward integration in real-world clinical workflows. Read more here
AI Chatbots Invade OnlyFans and the Adult Industry (The Verge)—Adult content creators are increasingly using AI bots to manage fan interactions on platforms like OnlyFans. Tools powered by large language models help automate chat, generate erotic scripts, and respond to fan messages. Some creators say this reduces burnout and increases earnings, while others worry it might erode authenticity and damage fan trust. Models like GPTease are specifically tailored for sex workers, offering AI-driven pricing and dialogue tools. As this technology spreads, it's raising ethical questions around intimacy, labor, and the blurred line between human and machine in adult entertainment. Read more here
Grammarly Acquires Superhuman to Expand AI Productivity Suite (Reuters)—Grammarly has acquired email startup Superhuman in a major step toward building a broader AI productivity platform. Known for its speed-focused interface and AI-enhanced email features, Superhuman will remain a standalone product while integrating deeper AI capabilities. Grammarly plans to extend its AI tools across email, calendar, and task management. The move follows growing demand for AI assistance in daily workflows, and Superhuman’s user base has seen a sharp increase in AI-generated replies. Grammarly, which recently raised over one billion dollars, is betting big on smarter communications. Read more here
Google Watch
Google Rolls Out Gemini Tools for Classrooms (TechCrunch)—At ISTE 2025, Google launched over 30 AI-powered tools for educators via Gemini Pro 2.5, built into Workspace for Education. Teachers can now auto-generate quizzes, lesson plans, videos, study guides, and classroom chatbots. NotebookLM also receives an upgrade, supporting interactive student guides and audio summaries. Google insists student data remains protected and is not used for training. Future updates include teacher-led AI agents and deeper analytics. This push positions Google as a major player in AI-driven learning, balancing innovation with privacy and classroom control. Read more here
Google Expands AI Tools in Education Globally (Google Blog)—Google’s latest blog outlines Gemini AI’s integration across Classroom, Forms, Vids, and NotebookLM, delivering free AI capabilities to educators and students. Features include tailored “Gems” for chat-based learning, real-time quiz generation, and video content creation. NotebookLM is being extended to younger students and gains voice-guided lesson capabilities. Google reaffirms data protection commitments and plans further accessibility improvements as tools roll out in English worldwide. Read more here
Tinder Watch
Tinder Debuts Facial Verification in California (Axios)—As of June 30, 2025, Tinder requires all new users in California to verify their identity via facial recognition. The process involves uploading a short selfie video, creating a unique face map used to confirm profile images and flag duplicates. No video is stored—just encrypted biometric data. Backed by FaceTec, the feature replaces traditional ID checks and is already live in Canada and Colombia. Tinder says this step is vital to improving user trust and reducing fake accounts as it evaluates broader U.S. rollout. Read more here
Apple Watch
Apple Delays Feature Rollouts in EU, Citing Regulatory Hurdles (Wall Street Journal)—Apple is postponing key features of iOS 18—including its new artificial intelligence tools and enhanced privacy options—in European Union countries. The delay stems from the Digital Markets Act, which Apple argues could undermine user privacy and security. Affected features include the iPhone Mirroring tool and SharePlay Screen Sharing. Apple says it is working to find a way to bring these services to the EU without violating local laws. This move highlights growing tension between U.S. tech companies and European regulators over data handling and platform control. Read more here
Robotics Watch
Amazon nears robot-to-human parity in warehouses (Wall Street Journal)—Amazon has deployed over one million robots across its fulfillment centers, nearly matching its roughly 1.56 million human workforce. Robots assist in about 75 percent of global deliveries, handling picking, sorting, and packaging. Units like Vulcan can sense and delicately pick items, and upcoming AI systems (DeepFleet) optimize navigation, reducing travel time by around 10 percent. While some workers move into higher-skill roles like robot monitoring and maintenance—often with pay increases—a shift is underway: average warehouse staffing per site is at its lowest in 16 years, and Amazon forecasts further workforce reductions. This trend underscores a broader industrial pivot toward integrated robotics, with implications for labor markets nationwide. Read more here
AT&T Watch
AT&T Rolls Out Wireless Account Lock to Stop SIM Swaps (The Verge)—AT&T has launched Wireless Account Lock, a new security feature that helps prevent SIM-swapping attacks. Once enabled via the myAT&T app, it blocks unauthorized changes like SIM swaps, device upgrades, and port-outs. Only users with primary or secondary access can disable the lock, and all account changes trigger email and text alerts. This mirrors similar tools from Verizon and T-Mobile. As SIM-swap scams rise, AT&T's move gives users greater control—particularly those at risk due to social media exposure or reliance on SMS-based authentication. Read more here
