AI Agent Safety and Privacy

What Can AI Agents Access?

By design, ChatGPT Agents can:

• Open a file or folder only after you give permission
• See and interpret the contents of spreadsheets, documents, or selected websites
• Perform multiple steps like “find the file, extract key points, and summarise them”

They do not:

• Browse your computer freely
• Open files without asking
• Access sensitive info like passwords or banking details unless you explicitly provide them (which you shouldn’t!)

On desktop or mobile, you’ll be prompted to select a file manually — nothing is accessed behind your back.

Can They “See” Everything Once Inside a File?

Yes — and that’s the point. Once an Agent is working in your spreadsheet or doc, it can read all the content in that file and act on it. If that makes you feel uneasy, good. It means you’re thinking smart.

That’s why it’s important to understand AI Agent Safety and Privacy and to:

• Only allow access to files that are needed for the task
• Avoid granting full-folder access unless absolutely necessary
• Remove or anonymise anything sensitive before you hand it over

You stay in control by being selective.

AI Agent Safety and Privacy — What Happens to My Data?

Here’s the core of it.

✅ What OpenAI says:

• Your files and prompts are stored temporarily while the Agent is working on them
• You can review, delete, or restrict what’s stored
• Your content may be used to improve OpenAI’s models unless you opt out

For Plus and Team users, you can disable data training in:
Settings → Data Controls → Improve the model for everyone → OFF

For Team and Enterprise accounts:

• Data is not used for training by default
• File access can be disabled entirely by the administrator

❌ What OpenAI does not do:

• Sell your data
• Share your data with third parties
• Allow Agent tools to operate without your knowledge

Known Risks and Workarounds

No technology is perfect, and AI Agents are still new. Here are some concerns that have been flagged by developers and early users:

⚠️ Prompt Injection

Some websites or files could contain hidden prompts that redirect or confuse the Agent.
Workaround: Avoid giving Agents broad browsing access unless you trust the source.

⚠️ Overreach

Once a file is opened, the Agent sees all of it — even if you only needed it to look at one section.
Workaround: Create a working copy of your file with only the relevant data.

⚠️ Assumed Understanding

The Agent might confidently perform a task — but make the wrong assumption.
Workaround: Give clear, step-by-step instructions. Ask it to summarise what it plans to do before it does it.

Do I Need to Be Techy to Stay Safe?

Not at all. The same good habits you already use in daily life apply here:

• Don’t share confidential files unless you need to
• Review and approve file access each time
• Use the opt-out settings if you’re not comfortable with training use
• Ask the Agent to explain what it’s doing before it starts
• Keep sensitive data in offline or secured formats if needed

In other words: treat AI like a helpful assistant, not a mind reader.

Final Thoughts on AI Agent Safety

AI Agent safety and privacy aren’t about fear — they’re about awareness and control. The tools are powerful, but only when used wisely. Learning the basics of AI Agent Safety and Privacy puts you in control.

If you’re using Agents for the first time, start with simple tasks using non-sensitive data. Learn how they behave. Then build from there.

Want help crafting safer prompts or testing things before you hand over real business data? Just leave a comment — I’m always happy to help.