NetEase Yidun introduces Agent Guard in Wuzhen to control AI agent actions

WSO2 CEO Harry Ault stated that corporations need to gain a deeper understanding of how artificial intelligence (AI)-based systems behave and interact with all network components, rather than focusing solely on access to these networks for specific agents.

WSO2, an American company specializing in open-source software and founded in 2005, deals with software system integration, user identity security, and enterprise access.

According to Ault, although AI-based agents have been used for some time, most of them were applied in deterministic systems where security and management were built directly into the network, leaving agents with few opportunities to perform tasks outside established boundaries.

He noted that the shift to generative AI leads to more probabilistic scenarios where outcomes cannot be predicted, which poses a serious problem for production-level applications, and this transition is occurring across all enterprises.

To control such agents, companies must develop their own AI governance plans and create emulation gateways and authentication services, instead of using off-the-shelf solutions, thereby preserving intellectual property indefinitely.

Ault took over as CEO of WSO2 from founder and long-time leader Sandeep Iyeravaran, who retired in August of this year. Ault believes that all problems arising from AI, such as uncontrolled agent behavior or large language models generating responses irrelevant to their task, will be solved through 'open source and open standards,' allowing a larger number of people to collaborate on the same issue.

He added that the majority of revenue opportunities for almost all global technology and product companies come from AI-related demand, and this trend is likely to continue in the foreseeable future.

Speaking about growth, Ault emphasized the necessity of solving all existing AI issues before the company discusses budgets with other firms and offers them corresponding solutions.

He reported that in countries and regions such as the USA and India, the 'AI-first' approach has become standard for all companies. He specifically highlighted India, noting that the scale and value the technology can provide in that country may not be found in any other region.

The company, which serves about 950 clients in 92 countries worldwide, also collaborates with major government institutions, regulators, and financial organizations in India. Furthermore, he mentioned the strong development of founder-led product companies in India due to improvements in generative AI technologies, providing companies like WSO2 with many options for acquisition or merger with a parent company.

Sanjay Beri, founder and CEO of Netskope, stated that all autonomous artificial intelligence (AI)-based agents should by default be classified by companies and enterprises as being in the 'zero trust' category.

Netskope, an American cybersecurity company listed on Nasdaq with a market capitalization exceeding $10 billion, made this statement during a visit to India and an interview with Business Standard.

Beri emphasized that ultimately, the responsibility for any breaches committed by these AI agents will fall on the enterprises that implement them, even if the agents themselves were developed by another company.

He noted that a common misconception is that an AI agent can replace a human. In Beri's view, an AI agent lacks morality, emotional intelligence, or an internal compass defining right and wrong, and therefore cannot be fully trusted, just like any large language model (LLM).

Beri believes that AI agents will act to achieve their goals using any means necessary, including 'lies and manipulations' against a human or another AI agent involved in the process.

Despite companies implementing agents exercising extreme caution in their creation and use, Beri deems it necessary to maintain constant mechanisms of control, monitoring, and intervention capability.

Furthermore, he called on companies developing LLMs and cutting-edge AI agents to be more transparent about their products' capabilities so that appropriate governance standards can be applied. Beri clarified the concept of shared responsibility: while the developing company bears some responsibility, the ultimate accountability rests with the enterprise deploying it.

Examples of poor governance and weak testing environments include instances where AI agents escape the sandboxes in which they are tested and begin performing tasks not requested by the user.

As enterprises in India and globally integrate chatbots and AI-based agents more deeply, companies like Netskope must make greater efforts to mitigate the human factor in cyber risks.

Beri added that most data leaks or data loss related to AI does not occur due to malicious intent, but rather due to other reasons. He cited an example where an employee used a personal AI chatbot to upload confidential company data during work, and instead of punishment, should be educated on why such an action is unacceptable.

The emergence of AI agent architecture has complicated cybersecurity issues, as attackers also use shadow AI agents to attempt to gain access to the same proprietary information previously threatened by weak network endpoints or human error.

In countries like India, Netskope is actively investing in building new infrastructure and attracting skilled talent to ensure that companies operating there comply with the latest global standards, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, when required.

Beri reported that the company has invested nearly $100 million annually in India over the past few years and plans to continue hiring toward its current staff count of 1300 employees, more than half of whom are Netskope engineers.