Cisco's president says AI agents need 'background checks' like human workers

Jeetu Patel, the president of Cisco, has emphasized the necessity for vetting AI agents before they are entrusted with significant responsibilities, drawing a parallel to human employee hiring practices. In a recent interview with Euronews Next, Patel stated that these AI systems must undergo 'background checks' akin to those required for human workers. As organizations rush to implement autonomous AI technologies capable of coding, managing workflows, and making critical decisions, Patel insists that security measures must evolve correspondingly. "You have to protect the agent from the world of attacks, and you have to protect the world from the agent that goes rogue," he explained. Cisco is on an accelerated path to AI adoption, with Patel predicting that by the end of 2026, the company will release at least six products developed entirely by AI, devoid of any human-written code. He stated, "We won't have developers at Cisco that don't use AI as a core habit within the way that they get the job done." Patel cautioned that while concerns about job displacement due to AI are prevalent, the real threat lies in outperforming peers who effectively leverage AI. The enthusiasm for AI agents is evident in the tech industry, with StackBlitz CEO Eric Simons expressing a desire for his startup to have more AI agents than human staff this year, showcasing a significant shift in the software sector. AI is already capable of coding, task management, and cross-platform coordination, with products like OpenClaw acting as personal AI assistants that require minimal human input. Simons remarked, "This is a crystal ball into the wildness of the inevitable future," highlighting the potential for AI agents to communicate and negotiate on behalf of users, from discussing prices to checking restaurant availability. Despite the excitement, concerns remain. Recent declines in software stocks reflect investor anxiety about AI's potential to replace traditional software roles. Nicolas Darveau-Garneau, a former Google executive, warned about the fragility of these agentic systems at scale, suggesting that unchecked AI hallucinations could lead to significant errors. He noted, "The only way we get massive productivity gains is the day we can trust that the AI isn't hallucinating a lot."