Meredith Whittaker

Meredith Whittaker explores the hidden risks behind AI agents—systems designed to handle tasks like booking tickets and managing messages. While marketed as convenient, these agents require deep access to personal data, financial information, and messaging apps, often operating with near-root-level permissions and cloud processing. Whittaker warns that this erodes privacy, increases security risks, and blurs critical boundaries between applications and operating systems. She challenges the audience to reconsider whether AI-driven convenience is worth the cost of personal autonomy and security.