WEEKLY BULLETIN / WEEK 40, 2026
Assistants that make calls and keep working, and what that means in the Netherlands
Five developments in AI assistants and agents from the past two weeks, with the source and what it means for you.
01
Google lets Gemini make calls for you, in the US only for now
Since 24 September Google has been testing “Call for Me”: Gemini calls restaurants and shops on the user’s behalf. For now only in the US, in English, on the Pixel 11. In the Netherlands, AI mostly answers the phone for businesses; calling out for one person is still new here.
What it means for you. Calling on someone’s behalf is becoming normal. Since August, an AI that calls must say straight away that it is an AI, and on whose behalf it calls.
May an AI call on your behalf? The rules in 2026 (in Dutch)
Source: TechCrunch, Google tests letting Gemini call businesses for you, 24 September 2026
02
OpenAI introduces “dots”: agents that are always on
At DevDay (29 September) OpenAI showed agents that keep working on a goal inside ChatGPT, each with its own computer and browser in the cloud. According to BGR they are part of the Pro 200 and Business Premium plans. Whether and when they will be available in Europe is not yet known.
What it means for you. The large providers are moving from question and answer to work that keeps running. Where that work and that data live becomes the question that matters.
Where is your data with an AI assistant, and who can access it?
Source: BGR, OpenAI DevDay 2026 announcements, 29 September 2026
03
Microsoft gives Copilot an agent with a name, a role and a goal
On 23 September Microsoft presented a new Copilot app with “Autopilot”: you give an agent a name, a role and a goal, and it keeps track of project updates and reminds colleagues of commitments, for example. It is in a test programme with no date for general availability; Autopilot carries an extra usage-based charge.
What it means for you. Agents with a role are becoming the new normal. The difference lies in how it fits together: private and business, your own data, and a team you call by name.
A tailored or an off-the-shelf AI assistant
Source: Fortune, Microsoft unveils Copilot super app targeting business users with AI agents, 25 September 2026
04
Thinking is getting cheaper per word
Anthropic released Claude Opus 5.5 (22 September) and Sonnet 5.5 (28 September), at 4 and 2 dollars per million input tokens. Last year’s top model cost 15 dollars.
What it means for you. The price per question is falling, but agents that keep working use far more. Choosing the right level for each task keeps the bill under control.
What does the technology behind an AI assistant cost per month? (in Dutch)
Source: Anthropic, prijzen en modellen (API), 3 October 2026
05
Large companies are building agents; small businesses not yet
62% of large US companies are building or using AI agents (KPMG, 24 September). In the Netherlands, 14% of businesses with 2 to 10 people use AI (CBS, for 2025).
What it means for you. The know-how sits with large organisations that have their own teams for now. An entrepreneur can have that same staff set up, tailored to them.
A digital team alongside your people: who does what?
Source: KPMG, AI Quarterly Pulse Q3 2026, 24 September 2026; CBS, bedrijven gebruiken AI het vaakst voor marketing of verkoop, 12 December 2025
From the knowledge base
May you record a meeting if you say so? In the Netherlands, recording a conversation you take part in is not a criminal offence; in business the GDPR applies, and saying so is necessary but not always enough.
How to announce that you are recording a conversation: the checklist (in Dutch)
Updated
New in the knowledge base: five themes, 40 articles and a questions page with 123 questions (in Dutch; the five theme pages also in English).
Curious what this means for you?
It starts with a conversation about your work.