Agentic AI requires trust and governance, says expert Sanjay Thawakar

Sanjay Thawakar of Axis Max Life Insurance highlights the growing importance of trust and governance for agentic AI. He stresses that clear safeguards, checks, and balances are vital for building consumer confidence in autonomous AI systems.

Trust, governance and clearly defined safeguards will become increasingly important as businesses move towards agentic artificial intelligence, where autonomous AI agents can make decisions and take actions, according to Sanjay Thawakar, Head - AI, Data, Innovation and BIIG at Axis Max Life Insurance.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the 3rd India International Fintech Festival, Thawakar said discussions around AI are increasingly moving towards agentic AI and agentic commerce, raising questions about how consumers can trust autonomous systems with decisions and actions.

Governance Key to Building Trust

"When we think about agents. How do we build this trust? How do we build that people do believe that most of these agents are going to work in the manner that they have to, and they can trust them with making decisions and acting on it," he said.

Thawakar said governance will play an important role in building this trust, particularly as AI systems become more autonomous. "What are the kind of authorisations that it can have? What is the kind of transparency in terms of decision-making? And what are the areas that it can go and do those transactions in?" he said.

"The important thing that comes out is that the entire governance platform - how do we govern the AI? How do we ensure that there are certain checks and balances in place? So it's a very important leg in this, in building that trust," Thawakar added.

Cybersecurity Within a Broader Governance Framework

He said cybersecurity should be viewed as part of a broader governance and risk-management framework, especially as autonomous agents begin interacting with the open web.

"When we are deploying these particular agents, and they will start having an action in terms of interacting with the open web, then the question comes down to what are the kind of checks that we are putting in? What are the kind of cyber security principles that we are putting in?" he said.

"It's a bigger umbrella of risk and governance. Cyber security just becomes a part of it," he added.

Human-AI Coexistence and Change Management

On the impact of AI on employees, Thawakar said organisations also need to focus on human-AI coexistence and change management as automation expands.

"The core of it is that a coexistence with humans," he said, adding that organisations need to train employees and help them understand how the technology can take over mundane work.

"The mundane part will be taken over, so it leaves you with enough time to do that exciting thing," Thawakar said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)