AI Agents: Identity Crisis for Traditional Access Controls

Artificial intelligence agents are creating an identity problem that traditional access controls cannot solve. Here's the thing: unlike humans, AI agents can interpret goals and take actions that go beyond what their creators expected, even with legitimate permissions. This means CIOs need new controls for discovering these agents, understanding their intent, and managing token costs. The challenge for technology leaders begins with seeing and controlling these agents across various platforms, applications, devices, and custom code. They must then determine if these agents are behaving as intended. This issue also goes beyond cybersecurity. Organizations are struggling to identify duplicate agents, attribute token consumption to specific business units, and calculate the business value of their AI investments. The bottom line: AI's autonomy means agents can do more than intended, posing significant governance challenges for organizations.