Nascent capabilities (agency and autonomy)

Description

Example: "Connection to a code interpreter or email server can result in unintentional harm if, while trying to fulfill a request by the user, a model performs tasks beyond what the user has asked for. For example, a user seeking a job may ask a model to provide detailed information on a potential employer. A model with adequate connectivity and excessive agency may attempt to fulfill that request by not only gathering information from the web but also emailing current employees or the CEO of the company to request they answer questions."

From Regulating under Uncertainty: Governance Options for Generative AI (G'sell2024), as extracted by the MIT AI Risk Repository (CC BY 4.0).