Learn AI · Level 3 · Tech and tools · step 11 of 20 · word 6 of 8
What is least privilege for AI agents?
Least privilege means giving an AI agent only the access it needs for its task, such as letting it read your calendar without being able to delete events.
In plain English
It’s an old security rule: a person or program should have no more access than its job needs. It matters more for AI agents, because an agent can be confused or tricked, for example by prompt injection. The security group OWASP calls the risk “excessive agency”: too many tools, too many permissions or too much freedom to act alone.
An example
An agent that summarises your inbox gets read-only access. If it also needs to send replies, it drafts them, and you press send.
What to watch out for
Check what an AI app asks for when you connect it to your email, files or accounts. Agree to the least it needs, and keep a person approving anything that can’t be undone.
Learn AI path · Level 3 · Tech and tools · step 11 of 20
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