Artificial intelligence is becoming a fixture in nearly every aspect of daily life — from phones and apps to search engines and even drive-through menus. The growing integration of AI-powered assistants into web browsers highlights just how much the way we search for and consume information has shifted in recent years.

But with this shift comes a troubling trend: AI tools increasingly request extensive access to your personal data under the pretense of “needing it to function properly.” This level of access is far from normal — and it shouldn’t be treated as such.

When Convenience Comes at a Cost

Not long ago, people were rightly suspicious of seemingly harmless apps — like free flashlight or calculator apps — that asked for access to contacts, photos, and even real-time location data. These apps didn’t need that information to work; they wanted it because user data is valuable.

Today, many AI tools follow a similar playbook.

Take Comet, the new AI-powered browser from Perplexity, as an example. Marketed as a smarter way to browse and automate tasks like summarizing emails and calendar events, Comet raises red flags when it comes to permissions. In a recent test by TechCrunch, the browser requested sweeping access to users’ Google Accounts — including the ability to manage emails, download contacts, view and edit all calendar events, and even copy the entire company directory.

Perplexity claims this information is stored locally on your device. But once you grant access, the company is still entitled to use your personal data — including for training and improving its AI models.

AI’s Growing Appetite for Your Data

Comet is hardly an outlier. Many AI apps claim to save you time by offering features like transcribing meetings or calls, but in return they ask for real-time access to your conversations, calendars, contacts, and more. Meta, for instance, has tested AI tools that seek permission to scan photos stored on your phone — even those not yet shared online.

Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, recently compared using AI assistants to “putting your brain in a jar.” She warned that while these tools may promise to handle routine tasks like booking restaurants or concerts, they typically require broad access to your browser, passwords, credit cards, calendar, and even contacts to get the job done. This creates serious vulnerabilities.

Security, Trust, and the Fine Print

The risks are clear: by granting AI assistants access to your data, you may be exposing your inbox, private messages, calendar entries, and sensitive information stretching back years. And once access is granted, it’s nearly impossible to reverse what’s already been shared.

You’re also giving AI systems permission to act on your behalf — a leap of trust considering these tools still regularly make mistakes or generate inaccurate information. And behind every AI tool is a company with a profit motive, which often means reviewing user data to troubleshoot or fine-tune performance.

The result? Even your private prompts may be read by humans — a practice rarely made clear to users upfront.

Proceed with Caution

From a privacy and security standpoint, the trade-off simply may not be worth it. Think of AI tools that ask for broad permissions the same way you’d think about a flashlight app asking for your location — it should set off alarms.

Before handing over your data, ask yourself: What am I really getting in return? And more importantly, is it worth the cost of my privacy?

Source