Stop Trying to Build a Directory for Ghosts
Why the IdP-Centric Model for AI Agent Identity Is Already Failing
AI agents are starting to act like operational systems, accessing data, triggering workflows, and interacting across cloud and SaaS environments. This analysis takes a deep dive into why many current identity models struggle with highly dynamic, short-lived agents and explores a runtime-centric approach built around workload identity, ephemeral access, and enforcement closer to execution.
- Why inventory-centric and IdP-centric approaches struggle with AI agents
- The shift from persistent identities to runtime-issued workload identity
- Where RBAC and ABAC still fit and where they stop being enough
- Why runtime enforcement becomes critical for governing autonomous systems
- How short-lived, injected credentials reduce exposure compared to static secrets and standing access
