The United Nations agency responsible for digital technologies has unveiled a new initiative aimed at strengthening trust, accountability and human oversight in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) agents as the technology becomes increasingly autonomous.
The announcement was made on Thursday during the AI for Good Summit in Geneva by the International Telecommunication Union.
AI agents are an emerging class of artificial intelligence systems capable of acting independently on behalf of users to perform tasks ranging from scheduling appointments and making purchases to managing complex business operations.
While these systems have the potential to boost efficiency and productivity, the ITU warned that they also present risks, including the possibility of impersonating individuals and making decisions without proper authorization.
To address these concerns, the agency announced the formation of a new Focus Group tasked with developing international frameworks to ensure AI agents remain identifiable, trustworthy and subject to meaningful human oversight, particularly in high-risk sectors such as financial services and critical infrastructure.
According to Focus Group Co-Chair Debora Comparin, AI agents will increasingly negotiate, conduct transactions and make decisions on behalf of people, making it essential to establish common international standards governing their identity, operation and trustworthiness.
The group will bring together experts in technology, public policy and law to develop the proposed frameworks. Its inaugural meeting is scheduled to take place in Paris in November, followed by a second meeting in Geneva in January.
Source: citinews
