Hello,

This is Simon with the latest edition of The Weekly. In these updates, I share key AI related stories from this week's news, list upcoming events, and share any longer form articles posted on the website.

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This week, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Record, a feature that enables you to use the app to record up to 120 minutes of in-person conversation and have it automatically transcribed. Given that you have been able to interact with ChatGPT for a while, this is a natural progression of its features.

I wrote a few weeks ago about the announcements made at the Google I/O and Microsoft Build events, suggesting that a whole host of smaller software companies might get overtaken by these hyperscalers' ability to launch new features on a whim and immediately become key challengers for their business. Well, ChatGPT Record is a perfect example of this happening. Companies like Gong and Otter will soon feel the heat from this update.

Although, just not yet. While ChatGPT Record offers the same core functionality as Gong and Otter (recording and transcribing a conversation), those products are far more complex, with the ability to assign parts of the conversation to individuals, highlight action items, suggest follow-ups, and more. ChatGPT does none of that today, so Gong and Otter won't be panicking just yet, but it will certainly have raised a few eyebrows among investors and the board of directors.

It also raises further questions on privacy and security. OpenAI clearly states that they immediately delete the audio file, and the transcripts inherit workspace retention policies but make only a small reference to "Use responsibly when recording others."

If you've ever been on a Zoom or Teams call, you'll be familiar with the announcement and consent to the software recording the meeting. No such ability with ChatGPT (yet). Are we to assume that someone will let us know when they are recording us?

We often discuss how AI is taking jobs, but releases like ChatGPT Record suggest that even those already working with AI solutions are not immune to direct challenges to their companies and positions.

IBM has launched new software to help businesses safely manage the growing use of agentic AI. These tools aim to ensure AI agents operate transparently and within organisational policies, especially as more companies explore autonomous workflows.
It’s a timely move as concerns about risk, accountability, and decision-making grow alongside AI adoption. For business leaders, this is about maintaining control without limiting innovation.

UK marketplace OnBuy used agentic AI to automatically categorise over 36 million products, unlocking £4 million in additional sales in just six weeks. The system sorted listings into 6,600 categories, improving search results and product discovery without human input.

Why this is important
This is a powerful example of how AI agents can handle tedious but critical backend tasks at scale. For businesses, it signals a future where intelligent automation can directly drive revenue.

The insurance and telecom industries are starting to see major value in agentic AI, especially in handling complex, time-consuming processes. In insurance, AI agents are being used to triage claims, resolve customer queries, and assist human agents with compliance and documentation.

Meanwhile, Deloitte predicts that agentic AI could deliver up to $150 billion in new value for telecoms by 2030, driven by automation in service delivery, network management, and customer care.

It’s a clear signal that agentic AI isn’t just a futuristic concept, but becoming core infrastructure.

Thanks for reading, and see you next Friday.

Simon,

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