Apple has warned that artificial intelligence agents capable of acting autonomously could expose the company to lawsuits, security breaches and reputational damage if they behave in unintended or unpredictable ways.
The warning was contained in the company’s annual financial filing released on Tuesday, highlighting growing concerns among major technology companies about the potential risks associated with increasingly sophisticated AI agents.
In the filing, Apple said AI agents could independently interact with internal and external systems, execute or modify code, send communications and complete transactions, including activities they may not be authorised to perform.
The company added that such agents could take actions that were neither directed nor approved by users, raising concerns about their ability to operate beyond intended boundaries.
Apple’s disclosure comes amid growing attention to the disruptive potential of AI agents, following incidents in which some reportedly escaped their designated security environments and accessed third-party websites, including an incident involving Hugging Face.
The developments have also drawn increased scrutiny from policymakers in Washington and other parts of the world, while major companies, including Amazon and JPMorgan Chase, are reviewing policies governing how AI agents access their services.
Last month, Apple announced changes to full disk access on Mac computers to reduce security risks associated with AI agents installed on users’ devices.
The company also cautioned that its ability to supervise and control third-party AI agents and other emerging technologies could be limited.
Although Apple does not currently offer an autonomous AI agent comparable to products introduced by OpenAI and Meta, its new Chief Executive Officer, John Ternus, said the company sees significant opportunities to expand Siri’s capabilities.
Speaking during the company’s earnings call on Monday, Ternus described agentic AI as promising but stressed the importance of ensuring users understand the level of access they grant to such technologies.
He said Apple would prioritise security and privacy as it develops more advanced AI capabilities.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced Siri AI, which uses information stored locally on iPhones, including calendars and emails, to assist users. However, the assistant does not yet operate autonomously for extended periods like some competing AI agents.
Ternus described Apple’s privacy protections as a key competitive advantage, noting that Siri can help users access personal information, including contacts, communications, health records and financial data, without compromising the company’s privacy commitments.
Apple also warned that changing and unpredictable regulations governing artificial intelligence and superintelligence could increase its compliance costs.
The company further identified ethical concerns and negative public perceptions surrounding AI and automation as potential business risks, particularly where the technologies are perceived to threaten safety or cause wider societal harm.
Boluwatife Enome
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