Entrust launches AI trust accelerator for autonomous agents

Entrust has launched the Agentic AI Trust Accelerator, a programme that brings together enterprises and technology partners to support the deployment of autonomous AI agents.

The initiative centres on co-development between Entrust, customers and integration partners to create reference architectures and operational controls for AI systems moving from pilot projects into production.

The programme is aimed at companies seeking stronger oversight of autonomous software operating across internal systems, partner networks and business processes. Its focus is on establishing identity, authorisation, cryptographic trust and accountability for AI agents, particularly in regulated and compliance-driven sectors.

Entrust cited market data showing concern among technology leaders about the pace of AI adoption. According to an IBM study it referenced, 77% of CIOs and CISOs said AI deployment is outpacing governance, while 59% identified security and compliance as major barriers.

That concern is driving demand for tools that can verify who approved an AI agent, define what it is allowed to do and provide a record of its actions after deployment. Entrust is positioning the programme around those requirements rather than around model development itself.

Initial work in the accelerator will cover four areas: verifiable human and agent identity, real-time authorisation, cryptographic protection for keys and certificates used by agents, and proof-of-action records that can be examined by regulators, customers and internal risk teams.

These controls are intended to complement platform-level policies and existing governance frameworks. The need is especially acute where AI systems interact with sensitive workflows or operate across organisational boundaries.

Anudeep Parhar, Chief Operating Officer for Digital Infrastructure at Entrust, is leading the programme. He said the current rate of change in AI is outpacing the mechanisms many organisations use to govern it.

"AI agents are advancing faster than the trust infrastructure needed to govern them," said Anudeep Parhar, Chief Operating Officer at Entrust. "Enterprises need to be able to trust autonomous actions across business processes, partners and systems. Whether organisations are experimenting with AI agents, deploying initial use cases or preparing for broader adoption, they need a trust foundation that can scale with them. The Agentic AI Trust Accelerator brings together customers and partners to develop practical approaches for identity, authorisation, cryptographic trust and accountability that work with their existing platforms. We call this the trust plane for autonomous AI."

Governance gap

The launch reflects a broader shift in enterprise AI strategy as companies look beyond experimentation and try to embed autonomous systems into day-to-day operations. That shift raises questions about continuous oversight, delegated authority and responsibility when software agents carry out tasks previously handled by staff.

Entrust said its existing work in identity verification, public key infrastructure, certificates, and key and secrets management will form the basis of the accelerator. It argues these areas are central to proving identity and securing transactions when AI agents operate across multiple applications and organisations.

Industry analysts have also pointed to the governance challenge. IDC said companies need controls that go beyond one-off approval processes and instead follow AI systems throughout their operational life.

"As agentic AI becomes embedded in enterprise operations, governance is evolving from a point-in-time exercise to a continuous discipline. While AI agents increasingly perform tasks traditionally associated with human workers, their autonomy introduces new challenges for oversight, accountability and risk management. Organisations therefore need more than static controls; they need continuous verification throughout the agent lifecycle. The goal is not simply to control AI agents, but to operate with confidence that they are appropriately authorised, governed and acting within established business, security and regulatory boundaries," said Emanuel Figueroa, Senior Research Analyst, Identity Security, Worldwide at IDC.

Limited intake

The accelerator is being opened to a limited group of enterprise customers and partners, including financial institutions, cloud and software providers, systems integrators and other technology companies involved in building or deploying AI systems in business settings.

Entrust presented the programme as a practical route for organisations seeking tested approaches to identity and control in autonomous workflows. The immediate emphasis is on customer-validated use cases and methods that can be applied in existing enterprise platforms rather than on a standalone AI product.

Tony Ball, Chief Executive Officer at Entrust, said the pace of adoption will depend on whether companies can establish reliable trust controls around autonomous systems.

"Agentic AI will reshape how enterprises operate, but trust will determine how quickly organisations can move from experimentation to production," said Tony Ball, Chief Executive Officer at Entrust. "Entrust is helping customers build the identity, authorisation and cryptographic foundations required for autonomous systems operating in real-world environments."