96% of IT pros say AI agents are a security risk, but they're deploying them anyway

AI agents are being rapidly deployed within organizations even as they sow security fears, according to a new report from data governance firm SailPoint. Based on a global survey of more than 350 IT professionals, the report found that the widespread embrace of agents -- AI systems capable of formulating plans and taking action without human oversight -- is taking place within a security vacuum. Of IT pros who responded, 84% said their organizations already use agents internally, but just over half that number (44%) currently have policies in place to control the agents' behavior. Even more strikingly, 96% of respondents said they view agents as a security risk, yet 98% also said their employers plan to expand their use of agents in the coming year. Agents are the latest wave in a flood of innovation surrounding generative AI, which began in earnest following OpenAI's release of ChatGPT in late 2022.