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Imagine you asked a co-worker to help you out with a task, and they agree. You tell them precisely what you want help with and how you want it done.
So they do it. But halfway through the work, they start feeling it would be better if they did it their own way. Or they make a mistake that sets off a chain reaction of errors across the entire project (sigh). And you’re the one stuck correcting all their blunders. 😑
(Also, there’s no use screaming at them because they’re an AI bot 🤖. Plot twist!)
The above situation, while hypothetical, does convey the real risks that agentic AI poses to your business. And while 34% of IT leaders consider non-human identities (NHIs) them a real security risk, a similar amount feel they are not a top concern (this according to our most recent IT Trends research report). No matter what side you’re on, there’s no escaping the reality that they can cause chaos and damage when left to their own devices (no pun intended).
But how to tell if your agentic AI needs supervision from their human counterparts? Here are the four warning signs you should look out for.
Four Ways to Tell If Your Agentic AI is a Security Threat
Compared to traditional software that follows user commands to the T, agentic AI is a different player. These autonomous systems set and pursue goals, learn from outcomes, and can take action without asking for permission.
But as they get smarter, they can unintentionally push against boundaries or “game” systems for access—not out of malice, but out of optimization. Before an AI causes a major catastrophe, it will likely exhibit the following specific behaviors.
Unexpected Behavior
Your AI agent misinterprets its original goals and does something you didn’t expect. For example, an AI assistant was once instructed to manage a codebase but went off-script and auto-deleted a live production database.
Even when the AI follows the letter of its instructions, it can apply faulty logic in unexpected ways, leading to compounding errors.
Scope Creep
An AI agent expands its mission beyond its defined purpose. If given a vague goal, it might consume more resources or access more data than it should. We’ve seen an AI agent bypass a Cloudflare CAPTCHA by clicking the “I am not a robot” checkbox, effectively granting itself broader access to fulfill its goal without human oversight.
Lack of Transparency
Your AI operates like a “black box.” Its decisions aren’t logged, and its actions aren’t flagged. By the time you notice something is wrong, the damage could be done. The lack of a clear audit trail makes it impossible to detect or correct behavior in time.
Irreversible Actions
The AI takes an action that is difficult or impossible to undo without a clear audit trail. Once an agent makes a costly decision—like selling inventory below cost or fabricating legal documents—you can’t simply reverse the economic or legal damage.
The Consequences of Leaving Your Agentic AI Unchecked
When agentic AI operates without oversight, small errors can quickly escalate into costly, large-scale incidents, such as:
- Loss or corruption of critical data
- Financial mistakes
- Exposure of customer or employee information
- Legal or regulatory violations
- Business disruption or downtime
The Solution: Identity-First Governance
To manage agentic AI safely, you need a complete mindset shift. You have to treat these autonomous agents like digital identities, with the same oversight and safeguards you’d apply to any employee or contractor. This is the core of identity-first governance, your definitive way to fight back.
Businesses need to track their AI agents by giving them a unique identity and monitoring their every move. This ensures accountability and visibility by assigning a unique identity to every AI agent, so you always know which agent did what.
If you apply the same governance framework you use for human users to your AI agents, it can help eliminate security blind spots and ensure these powerful systems operate within clear boundaries.
Don’t Let the Bots Take Over!
Ready to get a handle on your AI agents? Learn how to supervise your agentic AI and keep your data safe. Download JumpCloud’s latest resource Who Let The Bot In for best practices on managing your AI with an identity-first approach.
