The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a new initiative aimed at developing standards to support the secure and interoperable use of autonomous AI agents across industries.
Announced Feb. 17, the AI Agent Standards Initiative will be led by the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) in coordination with NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory and other federal partners, including the National Science Foundation. The effort is intended to guide the development of technical standards and protocols as AI agents—software systems capable of taking autonomous actions—become more widely deployed.
AI agents are increasingly able to perform complex tasks independently, including writing and debugging software code, managing communications and scheduling, and making online purchases. While these capabilities promise significant productivity gains, NIST officials say broader adoption depends on ensuring the technology can operate securely and interact reliably with digital systems and data.
The initiative seeks to prevent fragmentation as the ecosystem grows by encouraging industry-led standards that allow AI agents to operate consistently across platforms and services. Officials say establishing shared protocols will also help build public trust in the emerging technology.
The program will focus on three core areas. First, it will support industry-led efforts to develop technical standards while strengthening U.S. leadership in international standards organizations. Second, it will promote open-source protocols that allow developers and organizations to build interoperable AI agents. Third, the initiative will advance research into security and identity management for AI agents, areas considered critical for enabling trusted deployment across sectors of the economy.
NIST plans to release additional research, guidance and technical deliverables in the coming months.
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