OpenAI‘s Alexander Embiricos, product lead for Dots, will appear at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 13-15. The appearance comes just days after OpenAI unveiled its new always-on personal AI agent, positioning Dots as the company’s major bet on what comes after the chatbot. According to the announcement, Dots are designed to go beyond answering prompts: they run on their own cloud computers, can connect to everyday apps, and can keep working toward a goal in the background. That design gives AI significantly more access to people’s work and digital lives.

Embiricos will join TechCrunch for a session called “What Comes After the Chatbot?” to discuss the thinking behind Dots, where OpenAI believes personal agents are headed, and whether privacy and trust will determine adoption. The article frames open questions: how much control users will cede to an agent, what an agent should be allowed to do without asking, and whether companies like OpenAI can earn enough trust for people to use these systems. Disrupt will include 250+ tech leaders, 200+ sessions across six industry stages, roundtables, and breakouts, and about 10,000 founders, investors, and operators. Registration currently offers up to $100 off and a second pass at 50% off.