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AI agent news for small business: 31 October 2026

Perplexity's agent can now drive your own Chrome, AI agents get one checkout for 5,000 stores, and Natural lets agents pay by ACH, wire or instant transfer.

1. Perplexity Computer can now control your own Google Chrome browser from its Mac and Windows apps, using the sites you're already signed into

   Perplexity's own demo turns a business's online reviews into a list of fixes and replies. Handy, but an agent in your everyday browser can reach every account you're logged into, so give it a separate browser profile with only the logins it needs.

   Source: Perplexity (Aravind Srinivas on X). Related guide: Separate browser profile for the agent.

2. Agentcard launches opencommerce, one connection that lets AI agents search, buy and track orders across 5,000+ online stores, including Amazon, DoorDash and most Shopify stores

   Its own walkthrough has the agent confirm the cart and ask the shopper to approve payment before it buys. If you let any AI shop for you, keep that approve-before-paying step switched on.

   Source: opencommerce by Agentcard. Related guide: Can AI agents make purchases? How it works.

3. Natural makes Direct generally available, so AI agents can pay people by ACH, wire, or instant transfer over RTP and FedNow from one wallet, with the owner's limits still applied

   Natural points out that ACH (the standard bank transfer) is cheap but can be reversed, while instant payments land in seconds and can't be pulled back. If an agent can pick an instant or wire payment, set a tight spending cap first, because a mistake there is hard to undo.

   Source: Natural. Related guide: AI agent spending limit: 3 caps to set.

4. Worldwide Express used a team of three AI agents on AWS to clear freight billing disputes, cutting its backlog of open exceptions by 75 percent in six months

   A person approved every fix at first, and the company only switched to bulk approval once accuracy topped 99 percent. That is a good template for any agent that touches invoices: start with a human OK on everything and loosen it only when the record earns it.

   Source: AWS. Related guide: Which AI agent actions need a human OK? A simple approval rule.

5. Ollie, a privacy-focused AI assistant for families, is shutting down on November 6, weeks after raising a $7.5 million seed round

   Ollie says it will text users an export of their data and refund unused months. Before you hand an AI assistant your calendar, email and bills, check that you can export what it knows about you, because small AI apps can close fast.

   Source: TechCrunch. Related guide: How to choose an AI agent platform: 8 things to check before you sign up.

6. TestMu AI launches Kane CLI Exploration, an agent that clicks through an entire web app from a single link, flags problems and turns what it finds into tests

   It is aimed at apps with no written spec, including ones an AI coding tool built in a week. If an AI built your site or app, having something walk every page and check it before customers do is cheap insurance; it's part of TestMu's paid KaneAI Max plan.

   Source: TestMu AI via TMCnet.

7. Google makes Computer Use generally available in the Gemini API, so the feature that lets AI click and type through websites and apps is ready for production use

   Expect more everyday apps to ship agents that operate web pages for you. Any agent that reads web pages can be fooled by hidden instructions on them, so keep it away from your money and passwords unless a person approves each step.

   Source: Google Gemini API changelog. Related guide: What is prompt injection? How hidden instructions trick AI agents.

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