NEW YORK–When the New York Times recently asked readers to share their questions and concerns around artificial intelligence, nearly 1,000 responded, and that included a question about banking security.
Here’s what a reader asked, and how the publication responded:
Question: I use ChatGPT as an app on my phone and iPad. Can the A.I. go into my folders and retrieve passwords or my bank account information?
Answer: It cannot. Although you can choose to upload files to ChatGPT, and you can link it to other apps like Zillow or DoorDash, allowing you to, say, browse real estate listings or order food.
Some people, however, are going even further. In Silicon Valley, for instance, many people have started using what are called “A.I. agents.”
These systems are based on the same technology as a chatbot like ChatGPT, but they can also operate as a kind of personal assistant, doing research, editing files, sending messages and more. In some cases, people are willingly providing these systems with access to their folders, email services and, believe it or not, their credit cards.
This is not recommended. A.I. agents have been known to suddenly delete files, and spend large amounts of money in unexpected ways.
