Keeping Secrets Safe

You probably already know not to tell your passwords to people you do not trust. And not to tell strangers where you live. These are important rules for staying safe online and in real life. Those same rules matter a lot when it comes to AI agents. Today we are going to talk about something really important: what kinds of information should never be shared with or through an AI agent, and why.

What Is Private Information?

Private information is anything about you or your family that you would not want to share with a stranger. Here are some examples: Passwords — for games, email, school accounts, anything. A password is like the key to your house. You would not hand your house key to a stranger! Your home address — where you live is private. Knowing your address, a stranger could come to your door. Your full name combined with your school name — separately these might be okay, but together they can help a stranger find you. Family secrets or personal problems — things your family talks about privately at home. Financial information — your family's bank account details, credit card numbers, or how much money anyone makes. None of these should be shared with an AI agent, sent through an agent to someone else, or included in messages an agent writes on your behalf.

Why is this rule especially important for AI agents? AI agents can do things fast and automatically. If you tell an agent your password so it can log into something for you, there is a risk: the agent might store that password somewhere, or use it in a way you did not expect. Also, some people try to trick AI agents into sharing information. They might ask the agent questions in a clever way, hoping it will reveal a password or address that it stored earlier. This is called a social engineering attack, but you can just remember it as a tricky question trick. The simplest protection is the best one: just do not give the agent private information in the first place. If it does not have it, it cannot accidentally share it.

Here is a simple way to think about it: before you share any information with an agent, ask yourself one question. Would I be comfortable if a stranger read this? If the answer is no — do not share it with the agent. You might wonder: what if an agent needs my information to help me? Often, agents can help you without knowing private details. For example, an agent can help you write a message to your teacher without knowing your home address. It can help you look up information without knowing your password. If a task truly seems to require private information, that is a great moment to ask a trusted adult for help instead.