Title: OpenAI comes to Shift for the first time: after ChatGPT, AI agents are next

URL: https://www.infobip.com/news/openai-comes-to-shift-for-the-first-time

Zadar, 12 August 2026 – Europe's leading developer and AI conference, Infobip Shift 2026, will take place from 13–15 September in Zadar and will welcome Luis Velasco, a Forward Deployed Engineer at OpenAI, to its stage. Velasco will discuss the next phase of the tech industry's evolution, where AI agents are set to take center stage.

Velasco's session will explore a topic that is becoming increasingly relevant to everyday life: after an era in which we primarily asked artificial intelligence for answers, we are entering one in which we will increasingly entrust it with carrying out real tasks.

ChatGPT introduced artificial intelligence to millions of people, turning it into an everyday tool for writing, learning, analysis, and information retrieval. The technology industry is now moving into its next chapter. The spotlight is shifting to AI agents - systems that go beyond providing answers by creating plans, using a range of tools, and taking multiple steps to achieve a given goal. As Velasco points out, this is the key distinction between chatbots and AI agents.

## AI agents deliver business value

For now, Velasco sees the greatest potential in tasks that are already digital, involve large volumes of repetitive work, and allow results to be clearly verified. Software engineering is leading the way, as developers are expected to spend less time on routine coding. Similar opportunities exist in customer support, cybersecurity, insurance, financial compliance, and administrative work.

At the same time, he cautions that companies should not adopt artificial intelligence simply out of fear of falling behind their competitors. The first and most important step should be identifying a specific business problem and defining a clear outcome to improve - whether that means saving time and costs, improving quality, or solving a particular operational challenge.

"If a company cannot clearly explain what will improve and demonstrate it through real business processes, then it doesn't have a strategy - it has an experiment," said Velasco, adding that the future is not about developing software without programming, but about engineering that goes beyond writing code.

Through more than 100 talks, panel discussions, and workshops, the conference will bring together over 4,000 developers, technology leaders, and entrepreneurs from around the world, fostering discussions on artificial intelligence, software development, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, and other topics shaping the future of the technology industry.

## Applications for Startup Tribe are open to all startups for the first time until 13 August

Startup Tribe, Shift's startup pitching competition, is once again set to be one of the conference's highlights. This year, for the first time, the competition is open to all startups, rather than being limited to companies participating in Infobip's startup programs. Ten selected teams will have the opportunity to pitch their projects in front of more than 4,000 conference attendees, including investors, technology industry leaders, and potential partners. They will compete for valuable prizes and the opportunity to gain international exposure.

Applications are open until 13 August via the registration link.

## About Infobip

Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey, with AI as the driving force of innovation. Through a single, natively built platform, Infobip delivers omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication, and contact centre solutions that help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications while driving growth and increasing customer loyalty. Infobip is focused on enabling and accelerating AI adoption as it continues its transformation into an AI-first company. Infobip’s technology has the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices in 6 continents, connected to over 10k+ connections, of which 800+ are direct operator connections. The company was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić and CTO Izabel Jelenić.