WTF?! There is still a lot of resistance against generative AI from most of the public. Not only are there fears that technology will take jobs and plagiarize, but many fear that control will slip away from humans. It seems that the solution from Google and other companies is to create AI agents that take control of your PC, including browsing the web, moving the mouse cursor and entering text.

Google’s Jarvis project will be presented in December, when the next version of its Gemini LLM is released, reports The Information. This is the latest in a line of recently announced AI agents that can take limited control over a PC.

Jarvis only works with web browsers – being a Google product means it will be optimized for Chrome. AI is supposed to automate everyday web-based tasks by taking screenshots, interpreting the information, then clicking buttons or entering text. The current system takes a few seconds between each action.

Users can also give commands directly to Jarvis, such as making purchases, filling out forms, compiling data into tables, opening a series of web pages, or booking flights online.

The idea behind Jarvis is to make AI tools more useful and accessible, especially for those who have no prior AI experience, because it removes the need to develop APIs. Users simply type in what they want Jarvis to do and it (should) do it.

Google, aka Cyberdyne Systems

Google isn’t the only company putting more control into the virtual hands of AI. Anthropic’s Claude LLM update gives users the option to grant the tool limited access and control on a PC. Examples of what Claude can do include filling out forms, planning an outing, and creating a website. Anthropic admitted that the system is still “cumbersome and error-prone.” However, OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, is reportedly working on its own version.

Reaction to the news was as negative as one might expect. Beyond the obvious privacy implications, there is also the risk of AI doing something wrong, which AI systems are prone to doing, which would result in consequences for users. It appears that businesses have not been deterred by the outrage over Microsoft. Reminderwhich takes screenshots of everything done on a PC so users can search it.

In completely unrelated news, Google removed its famous motto “Don’t be mean” from its corporate code of conduct just over six years ago.