The Linux Foundation plans to launch a new open standard aimed at solving one of the biggest emerging challenges in agentic AI: how to verify that autonomous AI agents are who they claim to be.
The proposed Agent Name Service, or ANS, would extend the internet’s existing Domain Name System (DNS) to give AI agents a verifiable identity layer. Rather than relying on proprietary registries controlled by individual vendors, ANS would allow organizations to authenticate agents using the same infrastructure that already powers websites and internet addresses.
According to the World Economic Forum, 82% of executives surveyed plan to adopt AI agents in the next one to three years. However, businesses remain concerned about security, governance and trust.
ANS will function like a digital passport system for AI agents. It enables users and systems to verify who an agent represents, what permissions it holds and whether its software has been altered.
Backers including Cloudflare, Cisco and Salesforce argue that an open identity standard could help prevent a fragmented ecosystem of incompatible agent networks while reducing the risks posed by rogue or spoofed agents.
“For decades, DNS has been the foundational bedrock of how we navigate and trust the web. By extending this existing, proven infrastructure to AI agents, the Agent Name Service offers one way to address the security and identity challenge before it gets out of hand,” said Cloudflare CTO Dane Knecht in a statement.
The foundation is asking businesses, AI developers, infrastructure providers and security researchers to participate in establishing open standards for agentic AI. The ANS GitHub page has more information.