- AI Agent Adoption Is Outpacing Visibility
- AI agents work autonomously in all environments.
- Business leaders recognize the risk and believe they can prevent unauthorized access
UK businesses are increasingly deploying AI agents to help automate mundane tasks and improve productivity, but some are behaving as “double agents” and putting business security at risk.
New research from Microsoft’s Cyber Pulse report has found that while most business leaders believe they can prevent unauthorized use by AI double agents, visibility is struggling to keep pace with adoption.
Unmanaged AI agents create blind spots for security teams, especially when autonomous AI agents are given permission to work on networks, devices, and software.
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AI double agents risk sabotaging businesses
In 2026, adoption has increased rapidly: 62% of UK companies already deploy AI agents in their businesses, an increase of 22% year-on-year. Additionally, 68% of companies expect enterprise-wide deployment of AI agents within the next 12 months.
But business leaders also recognize the risk of this rising adoption rate: 84% said unauthorized or poorly governed AI agents are a serious security problem.
This problem is likely to get worse as AI agents become more capable and accessible, especially when they can act autonomously with permissions that extend across different environments.
Microsoft’s findings also point out that security teams have three clear priorities. Ensure visibility of where AI agents operate is maintained (50%), ensure the introduction of AI agents into existing systems and processes is done securely (50%), and verify that autonomous AI agents meet compliance, risk and audit requirements (49%).
“This research signals a structural shift in cross-enterprise security,” said Jo Miller, National Security Officer at Microsoft UK. “As AI agents move from experimentation to operational roles in UK organisations, they are delivering real gains in productivity and resilience, but they are also introducing a new category of digital identity that must be protected with the same rigor as human or machine identities.”
“Dual agents arise when visibility and governance do not keep pace with adoption, which is why organizations need the ability to see, manage and control how agents access systems and data across their enterprise,” Miller continued.
“By treating AI agents as managed identities and applying strong zero-trust principles, with least-privileged access, defined permissions, and full auditability, companies can manage risk while continuing to innovate with confidence.”
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