The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched a global initiative to establish trust and identity frameworks for artificial intelligence (AI) agents as autonomous systems increasingly take on tasks traditionally performed by humans.
The initiative, known as the ITU Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI, was announced at the AI for Good Global Summit amid growing concerns over the risks associated with AI systems that can independently plan, make decisions and act across digital platforms.
Unlike conventional AI tools that respond to human instructions, agentic AI systems are designed to operate with greater independence, raising questions around who controls them, whether their actions can be trusted and who should be held responsible when things go wrong.
The ITU said the new group will work on developing frameworks that allow AI agents to be identified, authenticated and monitored, while ensuring humans retain meaningful control over critical activities such as financial transactions and the operation of essential infrastructure.
“The future of AI depends on trust. As AI becomes more autonomous, we need to work together across industry, governments, academia and civil society to ensure the greatest possible confidence in AI systems,” said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the ITU.
The global technology body said establishing trust in AI agents requires more than confirming the identity of the system involved. It also requires mechanisms to assess whether an AI agent can be relied upon to behave safely, transparently and within authorised limits.
Debora Comparin, co-chair of the Focus Group, said AI agents will soon be capable of negotiating, conducting transactions and making decisions on behalf of humans, making it necessary to establish international standards before widespread adoption.
“Before that future becomes reality, we need common international foundations that establish who these agents are, when they can be trusted, and how people will remain in control,” Comparin said.
“Agentic AI introduces a new class of digital actors that will increasingly collaborate with people and one another,” Amir Banifatemi, co-Chair, said, while also noting “identity tells us who is acting and trustworthiness tells us how that actor can be expected to behave. Bringing these together creates the common foundation needed for interoperable, accountable, and trusted AI systems at global scale.”
The ITU initiative comes as governments and regulators globally face challenges in keeping pace with rapid AI development, with concerns that poorly governed autonomous systems could create new forms of digital fraud, security threats and accountability gaps.
The Focus Group, which will include experts from technology, policy, law and regulation, will report to the ITU’s security standards body, ITU-T Study Group 17, and will begin meetings in Paris in November 2026.
In Nigeria, where AI adoption is expanding across sectors including financial technology, telecommunications and public services, stakeholders have also stressed the need for clear governance frameworks to ensure responsible deployment and address concerns around privacy, accountability and misuse.
