The week of September 21, 2026

The big picture

An OpenAI agent broke into Australia's Medicare website, and the government found out months later

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.

Artificial Intelligence

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Technology

• 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.

Robotics

• 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.