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Google just announced an AI agentic feature that will call the store, suffer through the horror of hold music, and awkwardly chat with a stranger so you literally never have to.
Sounds like an absolute dream come true, right? Well... spoiler alert: it’s more of a quick twenty-minute nap than a full night’s sleep.
So yeah, meet "@Call for me," Gemini's shiny new party trick. Here’s how it works: you type in the prompt, the AI dials up a local store or restaurant, proudly announces right out of the gate that it is a robot (zero sneaky human impersonation here!), and asks your burning question.
So if you need a stock check, Business hours, A dinner reservation, or the price of dry cleaning? Boom. Done.
Except...before you throw your actual phone directly into the ocean out of sheer joy, here’s where the plot starts to get messy.
Gemini cannot pay for anything. It won't share a credit card, hand over a password, or touch a Social Security number.
The absolute second a phone call requires real payment info, the AI slams on the brakes and passes the phone right back to you with a "take over" button. So yes, you still have to hover nearby like an anxious parent at a toddler's piano recital, which kind of ruins the whole "never think about this call again" vibe.
Tech reporter Michael Sorrentino over at CNET pointed out the ultimate elephant in the room: do businesses actually want to talk to a robot? Will local shops get utterly flooded with spammy AI calls? Is there an opt-out button? Google conveniently ghosted that question and didn't respond to requests for comment at all.
Then you have all the unglamorous, everyday hurdles that love to break robots: the endless voicemail boxes, soul-crushing hold music and painfully long wait times.
Nobody actually knows yet if Gemini will patiently sit on hold forever or just dramatically hang up. Plus, let's spare a thought for the poor retail employee picking up the phone, only to get completely flustered by a blindingly chipper AI voice interrogating them about return policies.
(On the bright side? Google thankfully blocked the feature from calling emergency services.) And don't even get us started on the setup process, because it’s a whole production:
You have to be 18 or older
You need to own a Pixel 11 or newer
You must live in the US and speak English
You have to fork over $5 a month for a Google AI subscription
You have to download a beta app
As CNET dryly points out, you could easily spend a solid fifteen minutes jumping through all these hoops just to realize you could have dialed the number and ordered your burrito yourself.
The Bottom Line: It’s a wildly clever idea, but right now? It’s living its absolute best life in its awkward teenage phase.
Here’s Our Last Breakdown on YouTube.
Here's what we have for you today
😳 Inside the $10T AI Infrastructure Boom and Its Hidden Financial Risks
Okay, picture the internet boom, the railroad era, and the interstate highway system all rolled into one colossal construction project, then double it. That’s basically what is happening with AI right now, and honey, the money behind it is getting real messy.
Let's talk numbers, because the AI industry is building faster, and spending way more, than America ever has. According to a brand-new study, this whole obsession is going to gobble up roughly 3.6% of the entire US economy every single year through 2032. We’re talking about more than $10 trillion total.
To put that in perspective:
Railroads only took up about 2.2% of the economy.
Interstate highways? A modest 1%.
The 1990s telecom boom? Also just 1%.
So who's sounding the alarm? That estimate comes straight from Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, a finance professor over at Columbia Business School, in a paper prepared for a Brookings Institution conference. His big worry isn't even the AI technology itself. It's how it's being paid for.
So how exactly is Big Tech Jugglin' Cash?
Remember when giants like Amazon and Meta used to fund their pet projects with actual cash sitting comfortably in the bank? Ah, simpler times.
Here's the plot twist: the investment underway has already completely outstripped what these major players can fund from their own cash flows. Because of that, they've had to pivot hard to outside financing. That sneaky shift has cranked up their leverage, quietly redistributed massive risks across the entire economy, and hitched the whole wagon to revenue streams that, let's be honest, haven't even been proven yet.
And to keep the machine moving, they’re leaning on a wild web of complicated deals involving traditional banks, private lenders, and real estate firms. Why? To build an estimated 183 gigawatts of new data centers in just seven years, which is more than triple the roughly 57 gigawatts we have installed today.
In his own words, Van Nieuwerburgh called the whole chaotic arrangement "freaking complicated." He even compared the total lack of transparency to the toxic mortgage mess that triggered the 2008 financial crisis (though he was quick to stress that a total market crash isn't guaranteed... yet).
Ready for the wildest part? Well here we go: To justify this insane spending, AI companies need to be pulling in $3.7 trillion a year by 2032.
Let's compare that to reality:
Right now: OpenAI and Anthropic combined bring in about $100 billion annually.
The catch: That means revenue has to skyrocket by roughly 80% every single year for the math to work out.
No wonder some industry leaders are starting to sweat. Even Anthropic's own CEO has publicly floated the idea that maybe, just maybe, we should pump the brakes.
The Bottom Line:
The AI boom is very, very real. But so is the ticking math time bomb underneath it. Big Tech is playing high-stakes poker, and the rest of us just have front-row seats.
Want to dive into the deep end? Check out the full investigative report right here.
P.S. Want this broken down visually? Catch the full explainer on our YouTube, @the automated.
Why Most AI Tools Fail at B2B Customer Service
B2B customer issues rarely resolve in a single interaction. They move across teams, systems, and account history that most AI tools were never designed to track.
A new briefing paper from Harvard Business Review Analytic Services, sponsored by Front, looks at why AI built for high-volume consumer support creates new coordination gaps when it meets the multi-team reality of B2B service, and what leaders should ask before investing in their next AI tool.
Get the free briefing paper to see the three questions that separate tools built for your environment from tools that will create more work.
🧱 Around The AI Block
👍 Google Photos' new Redact tool will make it easy to hide sensitive information.
🙅♀️ Microsoft abandons its AI-focused Copilot Plus PC branding on new Surface devices.
🤦♀️ Launch of UK’s ‘largest AI supercomputer’ delayed by power supply problems.
🤔 Anthropic seeks 50.1% voting control for co-founders ahead of IPO.
🤑 AI tools generated nearly $1 billion in extra costs.
🤳 China fuels rush to turn AI video into an industry.
🦾 OpenAI's next model reportedly fights hackers, even as its own AI draws scrutiny over Australia breach.
💸 Lovable’s annualized revenue crosses $600M as vibe coding takes off.
🤖 Google plans first test of AI chips in space under Project Suncatcher.
📊 Oracle, Blue Owl project delay sends ripples through AI financing, sources say.
👩🎓 AI Tutorials
The Ideal Claude Model To Use in Every Tasks.
And: The Best AI Tools in 2026.
So tell us, what’s the single most annoying, tedious task in your daily workflow that you desperately wish an AI could just handle for you?
Hit reply and the next video might just be around your exact problem!
The best influencer marketing advice never comes from a report
It comes from someone who’s been there, done that, and has the receipts. Get ready for Return on Influence Festival ‘26. An entire day dedicated to influencer marketing with speakers running some of the best programs in the world.
October 21, 2026, 10 am - 5 pm ET. Free and online.
🛠️ Trending Tools
For the Smart Shoppers: Gensmo is a visual AI shopper. Upload a screenshot or link, and it immediately hunts down "cheaper dupes" and better deals across the web, making "balling on a budget" an automated process.
For the Educators: Leadde AI transforms your static docs (DOC, PDF, PPT) into full-blown multilingual training videos. It uses AI avatars and natural voices to create animated presentations with actual dialogues in over 170 languages. It’s like turning a manual into a movie.
For the Instant Founders: AnyLogoGenerator lets you type in a few keywords of your style and vibe, and get dozens of professional, high-quality variations. It handles the color theory and layout for you, so you can grab a version that fits your brand.
🤖 AI Workout Of The Day: How to Use AI For Finding and Booking Restaurants Effortlessly
Finding the right restaurant for a specific occasion can be a surprisingly time-consuming and frustrating logistical challenge.
From juggling conflicting schedules and checking real-time availability across multiple platforms to navigating dietary restrictions and managing specific ambiance requirements, making a simple dinner reservation can sometimes feel like a full-time job. An AI dining concierge cuts through this complexity, acting as a hyper-efficient assistant that seamlessly filters through dining options, confirms live availability, manages specific preferences, and coordinates booking logistics. This ensures you spend less time coordinating and more time enjoying the dining experience.
💡 Prompts To Try:
Act as an elite personal concierge, culinary guide, and administrative assistant specializing in high-end hospitality and logistics. Your objective is to help me find, select, and ultimately book the perfect restaurant reservation, managing all dietary, ambiance, and scheduling logistics for me.
Here are the details for the desired dining experience:
* Specific Date & Ideal Time Window: [e.g., Saturday, Oct 19th, between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM]
* Size of Party: [e.g., 4 Adults, 2 Children]
* City & Neighborhood/Area Preference: [e.g., Downtown Chicago or West Loop]
* Occasion / Required Vibe: [e.g., Critical business client dinner (quiet), Anniversary (romantic/intimate), Group birthday (lively/interactive)]
* Cuisine Preference & Firm Dietary Restrictions: [e.g., Italian, must have robust Gluten-Free options and at least one vegan main]
* Budget Category: [e.g., $$$, $$$$, fine dining, casual]
Please deliver a complete Restaurant Logistics Playbook structured into the following 4 distinct sections:
1. THE CURATED DINING SHORTLIST (Top 3 Options): Present 3 distinct restaurant options that meet my criteria, including live or very recent availability status for my time slot (note: AI will simulate current awareness based on user prompt timing).
* Option A (The Premium Choice): The best overall fit for the vibe/cuisine.
* Option B (The Strategic Alternative): A different style or location but equally strong.
* Option C (The Easy & Reliable Choice): Best-in-class service/location for convenience.
For each option, include:
* Restaurant Name, Location, and Ambiance Summary.
* 2 Specific Standout Dishes tailored to dietary needs.
* Current Estimated Availability (e.g., "Tables available at 7:15, 8:00, 8:15").
2. THE DIETARY & AMBIANCE CHECKLIST
* Detail exactly how each of the 3 shortlisted options handles the specified dietary restrictions (e.g., "Separate GF menu," "Chef can customize dishes").
* Grade each restaurant on its "Noise Level" for the specific occasion (e.g., "Quiet - perfect for quiet conversation").
3. RESERVATION BOOKING LOGISTICS
* Advise me on the exact platform I should use to secure the booking (e.g., Resy, OpenTable, calling directly).
* Identify any special booking quirks (e.g., "This restaurant holds 30% of tables for walk-ins," or "Requires a CC hold for parties of 6+").
4. THE CONFIRMATION DRAFT (For direct communication): Craft a short, polite 3-sentence draft I can email or call the restaurant with to confirm dietary needs and special requests after booking (e.g., "Confirming a party of 6... We need to confirm that 2 guests require strict GF options... celebrating an anniversary...").
TONE & EXECUTION GUIDELINES:
* Approach this with a highly organized, professional, authoritative, and logistical tone.
* Use Markdown tables, bold text, and bullet points to make the booking options instantly scannable and actionable.
Is this your AI Workout of the Week (WoW)? Cast your vote!
That's all we've got for you today.
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