Critics scoff after Microsoft warns AI feature can infect machines and pilfer data

The goals are sound, but ultimately they depend on users reading the dialog windows that warn of the risks and require careful approval before proceeding. That, in turn, diminishes the value of the protection for many users.

“The usual caveat applies to such mechanisms that rely on users clicking through a permission prompt,” Earlence Fernandes, a University of California, San Diego professor specializing in AI security, told Ars. “Sometimes those users don’t fully understand what is going on, or they might just get habituated and click ‘yes’ all the time. At which point, the security boundary is not really a boundary.”

As demonstrated by the rash of “ClickFix” attacks, many users can be tricked into following extremely dangerous instructions. While more experienced users (including a fair number of Ars commenters) blame the victims falling for such scams, these incidents are inevitable for a host of reasons. In some cases, even careful…