Concern 267 · Working draft · editorial review in progress
Communication-tool misuse
Communication-tool misuse occurs when an agent sends, publishes, or shares material that the user did not authorize in that form or to that audience.
Understanding the concern
Drafting a message and sending it are different actions. An agent may misunderstand the recipient, disclose private context, or make a commitment in the user's name. Once someone reads the message, deleting the local copy cannot remove every consequence.
The user needs control over the meaningful parts of the communication: audience, content, attachments, and timing. Routine permissions can be useful when clearly defined, but access to a messaging tool should not silently become permission for unrelated outreach.
An example
An assistant turns a private note into a message to the whole team without checking the intended audience.
Illustrative unless identified as a documented case.
Words in plain English
- Agent
- An AI system that can choose and carry out several steps toward a goal, using the tools and access people give it.
Evidence and its limits
The sources support limited agency and sensitive-data protection; the example concerns an authorization boundary rather than a specific product defect.
OWASP Gen AI Security Project · Security guidance
LLM06:2025 Excessive Agency ↗ (opens in a new tab)Distinguishes excessive functionality, permissions and autonomy; the framework identifies failure modes rather than their prevalence.
OWASP · Security guidance
LLM02:2025 Sensitive Information Disclosure ↗ (opens in a new tab)Describes exposure of personal and confidential information and defensive considerations; not proof of a particular incident.
Broader frameworks and background
These resources provide context. They do not establish every claim in this concern.
A question to discuss
Does the authorization cover this exact audience and content, or only preparation of a draft?
Keep track of different views, what needs checking, and any next step in your own discussion notes.
Open discussion notes →Principles for the conversation
Before you finish · reflect together
Virtues and principles to consider
Virtues are qualities we practice in how we treat people and make choices. They are not scores for judging someone. Use these ideas to explore what a thoughtful response could look like.
Prudence
Prudence means using careful judgment before and during action. It balances worthwhile opportunities with the need to avoid harm that could have been anticipated.
Start with a limited trial, set stopping points, and prefer choices that can be undone when uncertainty is high. Review what happens rather than assuming the original plan remains sound.
Ask together: What is a careful next step, and when should we stop or change course?
Humility
Humility means recognizing the limits of our knowledge and being willing to learn from others. Expertise can be valuable without answering every question.
State where evidence is weak, invite criticism, and listen to people with different experience. Leave room to revise a decision when new information appears.
Ask together: What might we be missing, and who could help us see it?
Stewardship
Stewardship means caring for resources and systems that others depend on, including people who will use them later. It looks beyond the benefit of a quick launch.
Plan for maintenance, energy use, data protection, and eventual shutdown. Ask who will look after the tool when the original team moves on and how future users can avoid inheriting hidden costs.
Ask together: What are we responsible for caring for over time?
Editorial ratings
These are editorial judgments from the register, not measured probabilities or predictions about your situation.
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