Role of AI Agents in Recent Product Launches and Cybersecurity Concerns
AI agents have been central to some of the most compelling recent product launches, but cybersecurity experts hold mixed opinions on this technology.
According to data from SailPoint, 96% of tech professionals view AI agents as an increasing security threat. However, virtually all respondents stated they plan to expand their use of agentic AI in the coming year.
The primary concerns raised by respondents include access to protected data and the risk of unintended actions. A third major concern is the potential for an AI agent to share sensitive information without permission.
Data and Privacy
Similar issues have emerged in generative AI platforms, where models often produce inaccurate or false results due to the persistent “black box” problem. Analysts frequently cannot ascertain why an AI made a wrong decision.
Privacy remains a significant issue for AI models that require extensive data. While well-established gen AI platforms like ChatGPT are designed to safeguard sensitive information, AI agents often need access to private details to function properly, including financial specifics.
The SailPoint study highlighted that nearly 25% of respondents reported their AI agents had been manipulated into disclosing access credentials. Additionally, 80% of respondents noted their companies’ AI agents performing unintended actions such as unauthorized system access, data dissemination, and retrieval of inappropriate content.
The Era of Agentic Commerce
Despite these concerns, the era of agentic commerce is progressing. Visa and Mastercard have introduced platforms aimed at transforming AI agents into personal shoppers, allowing them to search for items and make purchases with minimal user intervention.
PayPal swiftly followed by partnering with Perplexity to integrate its payment functionalities directly within the AI platform’s chat interface.
Given the significant potential of AI agents, numerous initiatives are expected to arise in various industries, including cybersecurity. Nonetheless, organizations must consistently prioritize privacy and security in these undertakings.
This viewpoint was also reinforced by the SailPoint study, which found that 92% of respondents believe governing AI agents is crucial for enterprise security.