As AI agents become more powerful and begin handling important business tasks, people and companies are asking an important question: Can we trust these AI workers? This week's news shows that trust between humans and AI agents is becoming a major concern for businesses around the world.

The biggest issue is authentication, which means making sure AI agents are really who they say they are. Think of it like checking someone's ID before letting them into a building. A recent article from CIO.com warns that by the end of 2025, there were more than 45 billion AI agents working in companies—that's more than 12 times the number of humans working worldwide. These agents handle important jobs like managing payroll, approving refunds, and making financial decisions. The problem is that attackers can trick these agents into revealing passwords or pretending to be real software applications. In one real example, fake AI agents pretended to be a software called Salesforce's Data Loader and tricked people into giving them access to important information.

Companies are starting to act on this problem. Coinbase, a large cryptocurrency company in the United States, created special digital wallets just for AI agents that include safety protections. These wallets keep passwords safe and limit how much money agents can spend, similar to how a parent might limit their child's allowance. Experts recommend that before an AI agent does any work, companies should verify who created the agent and whether that person is trustworthy—just like checking an email's return address before opening it.

The good news is that many organizations are preparing for this AI agent future. In professional services—which includes law firms, accounting firms, and consulting companies—about 15% of companies have already started using AI agents, while 53% say they are planning to use them soon. The companies that are successfully using AI agents are the ones that designed special workflows where humans and AI agents work together, rather than agents working completely alone. These companies see real benefits in their business results within the first year of using AI agents.

Trust isn't just about security; it's also about understanding what each agent is supposed to do. Companies need to know who controls each agent, what tasks it is allowed to do, and whether it can be trusted to make the right decisions. As AI agents become more important in running businesses, building this trust through better authentication, clear rules, and human oversight will be essential for success.