UAE Firms Race To Secure AI Agents As Adoption Outpaces Oversight

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) As companies across the UAE deploy hundreds of artificial intelligence agents to automate tasks, cybersecurity experts are warning that many organisations still lack clear visibility into how those systems operate, creating new risks as AI adoption accelerates.

The challenge is emerging as businesses increasingly use AI not only to generate content and analyse data, but also to carry out actions on behalf of employees, including accessing systems, calling tools and interacting with applications.

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According to research cited by TrendAI, 62 per cent of chief information officers in the UAE believe their organisations have more than 50 AI agents running in production environments. Yet only 18 per cent have a fully unified view of those agents across platforms, data environments and business applications.

The findings highlight a growing concern for technology leaders as AI reshapes software development and day-to-day operations. While AI enables organisations to write code faster and automate more processes, it is also creating new security challenges, including the risk of vulnerabilities being introduced at speed and autonomous systems operating without adequate oversight.

Security specialists say organisations are under pressure to balance rapid AI deployment with governance and control.

“AI is changing both how software is built and how work gets done across the enterprise,” said Salah Suleiman, managing director, South Gulf, at TrendAI.“Code is being written faster than ever, while AI agents are increasingly able to access systems, call tools and act on behalf of users.”

The issue is becoming particularly relevant as enterprises move beyond experimental AI projects and begin embedding autonomous systems into core business processes. Unlike traditional software, AI agents can make decisions, interact with multiple systems and perform tasks with limited human intervention, increasing the need for monitoring and accountability.

At the same time, cybersecurity teams are facing a more complex threat landscape. According to the company, AI is accelerating not only software development but also the ability of attackers to identify weaknesses in code and systems. This has heightened demand for tools capable of detecting vulnerabilities before they can be exploited.

“Organisations across the UAE and the wider region scale AI at pace, their security teams need to identify vulnerabilities early while maintaining clear visibility into what AI systems are doing and whether their actions align with organisational policies,” Salah Suleiman said.

The growing focus on AI governance reflects a broader shift in the region's technology sector, where businesses are increasingly seeking ways to ensure that the benefits of automation are not undermined by security, compliance and operational risks as AI becomes embedded across the enterprise.

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