Apple is preparing changes to macOS designed to make it clearer when artificial intelligence agents request access to large amounts of information stored on a user's computer.
The move follows growing concern over how powerful AI assistants interact with private data.
Reuters reports that Apple said it would make requests for broad Mac data access more visible after complaints involving Meta's Muse AI agent.
AI agents represent a significant shift from traditional chatbots because they can perform actions on behalf of users, including managing subscriptions, negotiating prices and completing multi step tasks.
That power requires access to information.
The question increasingly confronting technology companies is how much access users should grant and whether they fully understand what an AI system can see once permission is provided.
Some users complained that Muse appeared to access messages they believed were private, Reuters reported.
Apple's response highlights a wider challenge facing the technology industry.
As AI systems become more capable of operating computers independently, operating system permissions originally designed for conventional applications may no longer provide users with enough context.
The next battle in AI may therefore be about more than intelligence.
It could be about trust.
