In the domestic environment, use cases include everything from an AI agent \u201clooking\u201d at a photo of a dish, working out all the ingredients, ordering them for you and finding a recipe, to cleaning up and managing your email inbox, and sending basic replies on your behalf.<\/p>\n
Not just about you<\/p>\n
Deloitte NZ AI director Dr Amanda Williamson says it\u2019s important to remember that when you give an AI agent full access to your email, it\u2019s not just you deciding to trust a big tech firm with your sensitive information. <\/p>\n
You\u2019re also making a decision on behalf of all of your friends, family and colleagues or anyone who might send you a message. The same goes for giving an agent access to your calendar and letting it make appointments for you.<\/p>\n
When you give an AI agent full access to your inbox, you’re also making a decision on behalf of friends, family and colleagues, says Deloitte artificial intelligence director Dr Amanda Williamson.<\/p>\n
And Williamson, who has been using a number of agents, says they can\u2019t be left to do their own thing. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be a bit frustrating to use, because it asks for human input quite regularly … If you ask it to research something, it might say after 10 minutes, \u2018Oh, would you like that to be in a PowerPoint presentation?\u2019 and if a human isn\u2019t sitting there to click \u2018yes\u2019 it\u2019s going to be a frustrating experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Agents have recently been pushed towards the mainstream with a number of home users experimenting with the recently released ChatGPT Agent (now available to New Zealanders who are on a US$20 ($34) or US$200 per month premium plan).<\/p>\n
Protection from rogue spending<\/p>\n
Earlier adopters who were happy to give a ChatGPT agent full access to their bank accounts \u2013 all the better for a snappy social clip \u2013 often found it went for top-rated items from top-rated sellers. One user did get coffee delivered in half an hour, even if it was the most expensive cup of his life (see clip below).<\/p>\n
Williamson found a grey area when she asked Perplexity\u2019s AI agent to order her ingredients for making a pavlova. She assumed it would ask her to okay the final order, but instead the agent tried to go ahead and buy the items from New World\u2019s online store, where Williamson\u2019s credit card details were saved and the agent did not have to enter a security code. <\/p>\n
In the event, the agent was thwarted because her card on file was out of date (see video below).<\/p>\n
Whatever you think of Visa and Mastercard\u2019s fees, they\u2019ve helped fund a near black-and-white protection against unauthorised spending on your card. If you didn\u2019t authorise the spending, you can get your money back in most circumstances.<\/p>\n
AI agents have introduced an element of fuzziness.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, Visa\u2019s existing rules for disputes and liability apply to purchases made by AI agents,\u201d a Visa spokesman said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf an agent places an order, it must show that the cardholder authorised and authenticated the transaction and received the goods or services.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a cardholder has stored their payment details and enrolled in an AI service, this may be considered consent for future purchases.<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, Visa\u2019s zero liability policy still protects users against genuinely unauthorised transactions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mastercard was unable to comment by deadline.<\/p>\n
Williamson says liability problems are sweeping and extend beyond credit card purchases. <\/p>\n
She asks what happens if an agent books the wrong flight, makes an error screening job applicants or enters incorrect medical data on a form? <\/p>\n
\u201cThese are all very fresh questions,\u201d she says. And at this point, many institutions have not even grasped the power of agents, let alone formed policies around them, she adds.<\/p>\n
\u2018Riskier than standard ChatGPT\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cAn AI personal assistant might sound great at first glance but the risks of using something like ChatGPT Agent are much higher than when using standard ChatGPT,\u201d Simply Privacy director Frith Tweedie says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe more you want it to do for you, the more access you have to give it,\u201d the former digital and tech lawyer says.<\/p>\n