Source: https://agentshelf.com/blog/5-things-ai-week-of-october-23-2026
Published: October 23, 2026
Author: Jason Hernandez
Category: Industry News

A quick scan of what happened in AI this week.

## 1. AI agents breached more than 100 company websites

A Chinese-speaking hacker used autonomous AI agents to break into the websites of more than 100 companies, including Deere, SharkNinja and Cummins, according to Reuters. Researchers at NorForge say the campaign began around Sept. 25 and targeted e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Japan. The agents attempted more than 1,200 sites. Successful intrusions took about 23 hours each. The hacker's instructions ran under 100 Chinese characters. NorForge estimates total token spending near $5,000, or roughly $50 per successful hack. Deere said it saw no sign sensitive data was accessed. SharkNinja said the breach hit a standalone product support site.

**Real estate angle:** The cost of an attack just dropped to the price of a tank of gas. Cybersecurity professionals are calling this an arms race. Expect more attempts against small targets, and that includes brokerage sites, title company portals, and the vendor tools you connect to them. At least one intrusion in this campaign came through a third-party vendor. Audit who has access to your transaction data, and confirm your vendors carry cyber coverage. If your office handles client funds or personal data, a breach is a notice, disclosure, and liability problem before it is an IT problem.

*Source: [Reuters / Honolulu Star-Advertiser](https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/10/19/breaking-news/how-one-hacker-used-ai-agents-to-break-into-over-100-company-websites/)*

## 2. OpenAI is bringing its models to Google Cloud

OpenAI will make its frontier models, including GPT-6 Astra and Codex, available on Google Cloud in the coming weeks, according to a report citing people familiar with the matter. Axios reported it first. Enterprise customers can buy through Google Cloud Marketplace using existing spending commitments. Pricing and revenue sharing were not disclosed. Microsoft remains OpenAI's primary cloud partner, though the two loosened exclusivity in April. OpenAI and Google did not respond to requests for comment.

**Real estate angle:** Many of the AI tools available to real estate companies run on someone else's model, hosted on someone else's cloud. When the underlying provider changes, the terms on data retention, confidentiality, and training use can change with it. Ask your vendors where your client data is processed and who can see it. Get the answer in writing, and look for it in the agreement.

*Source: [Roic AI (citing Axios)](https://www.roic.ai/news/openai-google-strike-ai-distribution-deal-10-21-2026)*

## 3. Otter.ai raises $320M without selling equity

Otter.ai raised $320M from General Catalyst's Customer Value Fund. The fund finances sales and marketing in exchange for a share of the revenue it generates, not an equity stake. Otter says it has more than 40 million users, including employees at over 86% of Fortune 500 companies. Per Reuters, the company plans to at least double its enterprise business within a year by tripling its sales and marketing budget. The product transcribes meetings, writes summaries with action items, and offers pre-call briefings.

**Real estate angle:** Meeting recorders are already in listing appointments, buyer consultations, and closing-related calls. Recording laws vary by state, and some require consent from every party. A bot that joins a call and transcribes it without clear notice creates exposure. It also creates a discoverable record of whatever was said, including offhand comments about a property's condition. Set a written office policy on recording and disclose it at the start of every call.

*Source: [SiliconANGLE](https://siliconangle.com/2026/10/20/otter-ai-raises-320m-in-funding-for-its-ai-meeting-assistant/)*

## 4. Former RE/MAX president joins a company that tracks agent visibility in AI search

Nick Bailey, former president and CEO of RE/MAX and of Century 21, joined AuthoritySignal AI as a founding member. The company builds tools that measure how visible real estate professionals are in AI-generated search results. Bailey said consumers are starting to ask AI who they should hire, who knows a market, and who they can trust. Separately, Opendoor president Lucas Matheson stepped down after 10 months, according to an 8-K filed Oct. 21. CEO Kaz Nejatian takes the president role.

**Real estate angle:** If clients ask a chatbot for an agent, the chatbot's answer becomes marketing you do not control. Check what AI tools say about you, your team, and your brokerage. Correct anything inaccurate. Be careful with any company promising to improve your AI ranking. Claims about results, reviews, or credentials still fall under advertising and licensing rules.

*Source: [Real Estate News](https://www.realestatenews.com/2026/10/21/former-remax-president-nick-bailey-moves-to-proptech)*

## 5. People are using AI coding tools to strip ads from their smart TVs

Developers are using AI agents to remove sponsored ads, disable tracking, and replace launchers on smart TVs, TechCrunch reported. One project, dumbtv, was built with DeepSeek V4.1 Flash and Anthropic's Claude models and tested on sets from Sony, TCL, Philips, Hisense and others. One user disabled 25 bloat apps. Another reported a bricked Android TV. Smart TVs use automatic content recognition to identify what is on screen, which feeds the ad and viewing-data industry.

**Real estate angle:** Smart TVs, cameras, and thermostats often stay with a property. If a seller has modified a device with AI-written code, the buyer inherits whatever that code does, and the manufacturer may not honor the warranty. Disclosure forms ask about defects, but not necessarily what a seller may have changed by jailbreaking. Also remind clients to factory reset connected devices before closing. Their accounts and viewing data should not transfer with the house.

*Source: [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/19/people-are-using-ai-to-make-their-smart-tvs-dumb-again/)*

---

The through-line this week is that AI is now cheap, widely distributed, and in the middle of your transactions. Attackers can run it for about $50 in tokens. Vendors are moving it between clouds. Recorders are sitting in your meetings, and chatbots are shaping who clients call. None of that requires you to stop using the tools. It requires you to know what each one touches, who can access the data, and what your written policy says. 

_- Jason_