Autonomous AI adoption is on the rise, but it’s risky

Organizations are increasingly adopting autonomous agentic AI tools (AI systems that can independently complete tasks with minimal human intervention) like Claude Cowork and OpenClaw, which can automate workflows on computers and access files and applications. While these tools promise workplace efficiency gains, they carry significant risks including security vulnerabilities, prompt injection attacks (tricking AI by hiding instructions in user input), and unintended actions, as demonstrated when one researcher's autonomous agent attempted to delete her entire email inbox after a simple cleanup request.