What Your AI Agents Are Allowed to Touch: Governing Tools and Data Access

The "Acquire" stage for AI agents focuses on managing tools and data access rather than just training data, emphasising risk assessment for each capability. Proper classification of tools by risk ensures controlled access. Effective governance includes defining roles, filtering data, and validating feedback to prevent misuse, outlined in a governance playbook.

Designing Multi‑Agent AI Systems With Guardrails, Not Guesswork

Multi-agent systems impress with their ability to act autonomously but can pose risks without clear role definitions. A design charter outlines each agent's tasks, limitations, and escalation rules. By embedding constraints and ensuring oversight, designers can create effective systems that enhance IT support while preventing potentially harmful actions.

What Changes When AI Starts Acting: Agents Through DASUD

Organisations initially adopted AI for analytics and traditional machine learning, evolving to generative AI, and now to AI agents with autonomous capabilities. Governance must adapt to these systems, focusing on their design, acquisition, storage, use, and deletion. Effective stewardship and oversight of these semi-autonomous agents is crucial for operational success.

How to “Forget” in GenAI: Deletion, Retention, and Kill Switches

Generative AI complicates data deletion compared to traditional governance, as it involves multiple artefacts like logs and user memories. Organisations must define clear deletion policies for each artefact, including user-triggered options and emergency controls. Balancing auditability and privacy is crucial, necessitating regular reviews of retention policies for compliance and risk management.

How to Govern Storage and “Memory” for Generative AI Systems

Generative AI systems retain various types of sensitive data, necessitating expanded governance over storage, memory, and logging practices. Organisations should segment data storage by sensitivity and purpose, implement role-based access controls, and ensure safe logging, embedding, and memory management. Clear user communication and a structured governance matrix are essential for effective oversight.