Organizations are accustomed to governing human users and service accounts. AI agents do not fit neatly into either category.
An AI agent can act, decide, and trigger workflows, yet it is not a human and does not possess intent in the traditional sense. Treating agents as software alone ignores their operational autonomy. Treating them as users ignores their scale and persistence.
Governing AI agents as non human identities provides a practical middle ground. This approach assigns ownership, defines authorization boundaries, and enables accountability without anthropomorphizing the system.
When agents are treated as identities, access becomes explicit, scope becomes enforceable, and audit trails become meaningful. More importantly, responsibility becomes clear. Someone owns the agent, approves its permissions, and remains accountable for its behavior over time.
USA-ADL™ formalizes this concept by embedding identity and authority into every lifecycle phase. This allows organizations to manage agents with the same rigor applied to other high impact operational actors.
