AI Agent Governance: Access and Accountability
If an AI agent accesses sensitive data, IT leaders should be able to identify who approved that access and who can revoke it.
1Password surveyed 1,000 full-time US employees, half in IT and security and half in development, at companies with 250 or more employees between May 26 and June 3, 2026, and 71 percent said AI agents have access to customer data, sensitive IP, or HR information at their companies. Only 35 percent said they manage those agents under existing identity and access management processes. The vendor-sponsored survey captures employees’ reports rather than independently verified access controls.
The access figure matters, but it leaves another question unanswered: who approved the agent’s permissions, and who is responsible when its actions cause harm?
The survey’s answer is that no single party dominates. Asked who is held accountable for agent actions in practice, respondents named team or department leadership most often,...
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