Last checked Nov 3, 2026
The five checks
Whatever assistant you choose, these are the questions that decide how much a wrong guess can cost you.
- Does it ask before it sends, buys or deletes? An assistant that can act should stop at anything you cannot undo and show you what it is about to do.
- Is the microphone only open when you choose? Always-listening assistants are a privacy decision you did not make.
- Can it run code or macros in your documents? Macros are a common way a mistake becomes damage.
- Does it stay out of passwords, terminals and security tools? Some places should simply be off limits to an agent.
- Can you read, correct and delete what it remembers? Memory should be yours to edit.
How Arkemis handles them
- Approval: sending, buying and deleting always wait for your yes, shown to you before anything leaves. If the connection drops after you approve, it tells you instead of sending twice. Autopilot, which skips that question, is off unless you turn it on.
- Microphone: it opens only while you hold your shortcut, and every task can be typed instead.
- Macros: they never run in Office documents Arkemis edits.
- Limits: computer use stays out of password managers, terminals and security apps, and bot checks on websites are handed back to you, never solved.
- Memory: it remembers what you tell it, uses it, and drops any of it when you say so.
Try it on something low-stakes first
Start with a task where the result is easy to check, such as asking for a draft reply and reading it before you approve. You get a feel for what the assistant does with your instructions before you hand it anything that matters. Arkemis is free to start, with no card.