ITU launches standards group for agentic AI
Global experts will collaborate through ITU to develop AI trust frameworks that support secure, transparent and accountable autonomous systems.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has launched a new global initiative to develop international standards for trusted digital identity and agentic AI, responding to the rapid emergence of increasingly autonomous AI systems.
Announced at the AI for Good Global Summit, the new Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI will develop frameworks aimed at strengthening accountability while ensuring meaningful human oversight of autonomous AI systems.
The initiative will bring together experts from technology, policymaking, law and regulation to develop common terminology, reference architectures, trust frameworks, interoperability mechanisms and security benchmarks for AI agents.
The group will also produce a roadmap to support future international standardisation as AI systems become increasingly capable of making decisions, carrying out transactions and interacting across digital ecosystems.
According to the ITU, trusted digital identity and reliable AI behaviour are becoming essential foundations for the safe deployment of autonomous systems. The organisation warned that agentic AI introduces new risks, including impersonation, unauthorised actions and reduced human oversight, making internationally recognised standards increasingly important.
The Focus Group will report to the ITU’s security standards expert committee and hold its first meeting in Paris in November 2026, followed by a second session in Geneva in January 2027. The initiative builds on ITU’s broader effort to accelerate international AI standardisation while supporting trusted and interoperable digital technologies.
Why does it matter?
As AI agents become capable of acting on behalf of individuals and organisations, questions around identity, authentication, accountability and interoperability are becoming increasingly important. International standards could help ensure that autonomous systems operate safely across organisations, industries and national borders while reducing regulatory fragmentation.
The initiative also reflects a broader shift in AI governance from high-level ethical principles towards technical standards that can be implemented in practice. By focusing on digital identity and agentic AI, the ITU is addressing two areas likely to become central to the next generation of AI-enabled digital services.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our chatbot!