Governance · September 2026 · 4 min
Seven controls before an agent may act on its own
42% want to give AI agents real decision authority by 2030. Only 5% have the controls in place today.
Anders Butzbach Christensen
Plan & Proof
More than 40% of agent projects are expected to be cancelled by the end of 2027. Agents need governance before they need technology. Decision rights must be clear before agents go into operation.
Inherits the user's identity and permissions
Has a list of permitted tools and actions
Critical actions require human approval
Everything is logged
Can be rolled back and stopped
Has a cost ceiling
Is tested and evaluated before going live
Agent or not?
Agents for decisions, automation for fixed workflows and assistants for simple look-ups. Choose a few agent cases with clear value and clear controls.
Sources: BCG Applied AI Index 2026; Gartner, Jun 2025; Gartner/Evanta, Mar 2026.
The service behind this article: AI governance and the AI Act →