Signal President Meredith Whittaker has voiced concerns about the privacy and security implications of agentic artificial intelligence (AI). Whittaker explained that AI agents, designed to handle tasks like booking events and coordinating with friends, would require extensive access to user data, including web browser activity, credit card information, calendars, and messaging apps. Whittaker noted that this level of access would necessitate "root permission" across entire systems, with unencrypted data processing on cloud servers. She argued that integrating AI agents with secure messaging apps like Signal would compromise their core privacy features, as the agent would need access to message content. Whittaker also criticised the AI industry's reliance on a "bigger is better" data collection model, asserting that agentic AI would further erode privacy and security in the pursuit of convenience. She cautioned against the allure of a "magic genie bot" that could ultimately undermine fundamental privacy protections.
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