Estonia to give official digital IDs to AI agents

Estonia is preparing to become the first country to issue official digital identities to artificial intelligence agents, a move aimed at establishing clear accountability and controlled permissions for AI systems acting on behalf of people and organizations. Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced the approval of the proposal on June 17, following a recommendation from the national Eesti.ai advisory council.

The initiative would create dedicated "AI personal identification codes," allowing agents to operate without needing unrestricted access to a user's full digital identity. Under the current model, an AI assistant typically logs in using a person's credentials, gaining broad access to data and services. The new system would instead grant each agent its own identity with scoped permissions, such as viewing a specific record, drafting a document, or making a payment up to a fixed amount. Every action taken by an agent would be traceable to both the AI and the human or entity that authorized it.

Michal stated that as AI increasingly performs digital tasks, including preparing tax declarations, compiling reports, and interacting with government systems, it must be clear who is...