Experimental features might produce unexpected results.
charnsitr, Shutterstock
At this point, Microsoft and security can rarely be used in the same sentence, especially since the company decided to pour its resources into AI features. Its new experimental feature, agent workspace, introduces various useful abilities but also security risks.
"An agent workspace is a separate, contained space in Windows where you can grant agents access to your apps and files so they can complete tasks for you in the background while you continue to use your device. ... As a result, you can delegate tasks to agents while retaining full control, visibility into agent actions, and the ability to manage access at any time."
Microsoft warns that these AI agents can hallucinate and produce unexpected outputs and lead to novel security risks, "such as cross-prompt injection (XPIA), where malicious content embedded in UI elements or documents can override agent instructions, leading to unintended actions like data exfiltration or malware installation."
So basically, if one of the documents the AI accesses has malicious instructions, the agent might follow them and become your enemy.
Thankfully, this feature is turned off by default in the 26220.7262 update and labeled as experimental. Moreover, Microsoft states that the AI agents operate following three principles:
Non-repudiation: All actions of an agent are observable and distinguishable from those taken by a user.
Confidentiality: Agents that collect, aggregate or otherwise utilize protected data of users meet or exceed the security and privacy standards of the data which they consume.
Authorization: Users approve all queries for user data as well as actions taken.
All in all, if you're not an advanced user who can take responsibility for their actions, it's best to leave all experimental features alone. However, the idea of Microsoft doing something so questionable in the first place is a little concerning.
Don't forget to check out 80 Level's new digital art courses, subscribe to our Newsletter, and join our 80 Level Talent platform, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Telegram, and Instagram, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.