Glossary
AI access terms, in plain language.
What the words mean, and why they matter on your own computer.
- Accessibility access
- A setting meant for assistive tools. An app with it can often read what's on screen and act for you, so it's one of the strongest kinds of access an app can hold.
- AI agent
- Software that takes steps on its own to finish a task, such as running commands or editing files, rather than only answering questions.
- AI browser extension
- An add-on that brings AI into your browser. Many can read and change every page you open, including mail and banking pages.
- AI bill of materials
- A list of the AI models, tools and services a system uses. It helps a team see what it depends on.
- API key
- A secret that lets software use a service as you. Anyone who has it can usually spend your credit or read your data, until you replace it.
- Audit log
- A dated record of who did what. It helps a team answer questions after a change.
- Command-line agent
- An AI agent that runs in a terminal. It usually inherits whatever the terminal can reach, which can include your files and keys.
- Full Disk Access
- A macOS setting that lets an app read nearly everything on the Mac, including mail, messages and browsing history.
- Least privilege
- Giving a person or tool only the access a task needs, for only as long as it's needed.
- MCP
- Model Context Protocol, an open standard for connecting AI apps to tools and data.
- MCP server
- A small program that gives an AI client tools, such as reading files or querying a database. It runs with real access, so treat it like any other software you install.
- Notification access
- An Android permission that lets an app read the notifications on your device, which can include messages and sign-in codes.
- Plain-text secret
- A password or key saved as ordinary text in a file. Any app or agent that can read the file can read the secret.
- Prompt injection
- Hidden instructions in a page, file or message that steer an AI into doing something you didn't ask for.
- Recall
- A Windows feature on some PCs that saves snapshots of activity so you can search them later.
- Screen Recording permission
- A macOS permission that lets an app capture what's on your screen.
- Shadow AI
- AI tools people use at work without the company knowing or approving them.
- Token
- A credential that stands in for your sign-in. Like an API key, it should be kept secret and replaced if it's exposed.