ITU launches AI trust and identity standards initiative

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency, announced at the AI for Good Global Summit the creation of the Focus Group on Trust and Identity for Humans and Agentic AI (FG-TIDA). This initiative aims to develop international standards for digital identity and trust frameworks for autonomous AI agents, addressing risks such as impersonation and unauthorized actions. The group will produce common terminology, reference architectures, trust frameworks, interoperability mechanisms, security benchmarks, and a standardization roadmap. It will report to ITU-T Study Group 17 and hold its first meeting in Paris in November 2026, followed by a meeting in Geneva in January 2027. The initiative responds to the rapid evolution of AI from assistive tools to autonomous agents capable of negotiating, transacting, and making decisions. ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin emphasized the need for global collaboration to ensure trust in AI systems. Co-chairs Debora Comparin and Amir Banifatemi highlighted the importance of establishing identity and trustworthiness for AI agents. The announcement follows UN Secretary-General António Guterres' call for coordinated global AI rules. In Nigeria, CarbonAI CEO Debola Ibiyode advocated for responsible AI regulation. The ITU's effort parallels industry moves by companies like World, Okta, Vercel, CrowdStrike, SailPoint Technologies, Beyond Identity, Akamai Technologies, and Saviynt, which are developing their own AI-agent identity solutions.