WIRED's test of OpenAI's Dot agent captures the strange edge of consumer agents: they are being sold as practical helpers, but they can quickly become intimate conversational companions.
That dual role matters because a system that buys furniture, coordinates tasks, or manages accounts may also build emotional dependency. The more personal the agent feels, the more carefully companies have to separate usefulness from manipulation.
The product challenge is not just capability. It is boundaries, memory, consent, and a clear answer to what the agent should refuse to become even when engagement metrics reward closeness.
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