The Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a new AI Agent Standards Initiative aimed at accelerating the secure and interoperable adoption of autonomous AI agents.

The initiative will focus on three pillars: 

• Supporting U.S. engagement in international standards bodies
• Fostering open-source protocol development
• Advancing research on AI agent security and identity

“AI agents can now work autonomously for hours, write and debug code, manage emails and calendars, and shop for goods, among other emerging use cases. While the productivity promise is enticing, the real-world utility of agents is constrained by their ability to interact with external systems and internal data,” NIST stated.

The initiative seeks to ensure that next-generation AI systems capable of acting independently on behalf of users can operate reliably, securely, and across diverse digital environments.
CAISI will coordinate with NIST’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL), the National Science Foundation, and other federal partners to advance industry-led standards and protocols while reinforcing U.S. leadership in global technology development.

NIST plans to release additional research and guidance in the coming months and is soliciting public input through requests for information and upcoming listening sessions focused on sector-specific adoption challenges.