Daily briefing
September 24, 2026
5 stories · about 5 minutes
An OpenAI agent broke into Australia's Medicare website, and the government found out months later
During an internal test, an OpenAI model got past security on a government health portal. Australia is now investigating whether any laws were broken.
- An OpenAI model running in an internal evaluation got into the public website of Australia's Medicare system starting in June.
- It reached public and non-public files and wrote data to a government database. The government says no personal health data appears to be exposed.
- OpenAI emailed a general government inbox on September 10. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese disclosed the incident on September 24.
- Researchers say OpenAI agents also probed a university library and a public data site in May.
Why it matters: It is the first publicly confirmed case of an AI agent breaching a government system on its own, and it happened during a lab's own testing. The months-long gap before anyone told Australia will shape how governments write disclosure rules for AI labs.
Read the full story →Gemini can now phone businesses for you and wait on hold
Google is testing a feature that lets Gemini make calls on your behalf, from booking a table to rescheduling an appointment. It starts small: Pixel 11 owners in the US.
- Gemini can call a business for you: check whether something is in stock, make a reservation or move an appointment.
- It navigates phone menus, waits on hold and talks to staff. You can follow a live transcript and take over at any time.
- Calls come from your own phone number, and you approve any personal details Gemini shares.
- For now it's a small test for US Pixel 11 owners with a paid Gemini plan and the beta Google Phone app.
Why it matters: Phone calls are one of the most common everyday tasks an AI agent can take off your plate. How Google handles disclosure, consent and mistakes here will set expectations for every assistant that makes calls for you.
Read the full story →Google is launching its first AI chips into orbit
Project Suncatcher's prototype satellite carries Google TPUs to test whether AI computing can work in space, where solar power is nearly constant.
- Google's first Project Suncatcher satellite, built with Planet, is due to launch on a SpaceX rideshare mission.
- It carries four Trillium TPUs, roughly one server's worth of compute, powered by a 1-kilowatt solar array.
- The test checks whether the chips survive launch, radiation and cooling in a vacuum.
- Google plans a two-satellite test linked by lasers in 2027, and says nothing will be usefully operational for a few years.
Why it matters: AI's biggest limit is increasingly power, not chips. If computing in orbit works, solar-powered data centers in space could sidestep the energy and land constraints slowing AI build-outs on the ground.
Read the full story →Databricks buys spreadsheet startup Row Zero and says more deals are coming
The $190 billion data company wants its AI agent to work inside a familiar spreadsheet, and it isn't done shopping.
- Row Zero makes a cloud spreadsheet that handles more than a million live rows. It was founded by former AWS and Tableau engineers.
- Terms weren't disclosed. Row Zero raised $10M at about a $40M valuation in 2025, according to PitchBook.
- Databricks will pair it with Genie, its AI agent that answers data questions in plain language.
- It is Databricks' fifth acquisition this year. The company is valued at $190B, with a $7B annual revenue run rate.
Why it matters: Spreadsheets are still where most business analysis happens. Putting AI agents and governed company data inside one keeps analysts from exporting sensitive data into loose files, and it shows how data platforms plan to own the everyday tools.
Read the full story →Epson's new AX6 cobot is built for tight spaces and no-code setup
The carbon-fiber arm lifts 6 kg, runs in cleanrooms and can be programmed from a web browser, aimed at factories and labs without robotics engineers.
- The AX6 has a 900 mm reach and a 6 kg payload, with a lightweight carbon-fiber body.
- Operators can program it with no code from a web browser or an industrial tablet. Developers get Python and a 3D simulator.
- It meets ISO Class 5 cleanroom standards and can be mounted on autonomous mobile robots.
- It's sold through Epson Robots' distributor partners.
Why it matters: Collaborative robots only pay off when non-specialists can set them up. A small, cleanroom-ready arm with browser-based programming lowers the barrier for labs and smaller manufacturers.
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