United States of America: Center for AI Standards and Innovation announced AI Agent Standards Initiative

On 17 February 2026, the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced the launch of the AI Agent Standards Initiative. The initiative aims to support the secure and interoperable adoption of AI agents capable of autonomous actions across the digital ecosystem. In coordination with the Information Technology Laboratory (ITL) at NIST, and in collaboration with the National Science Foundation and other federal partners, CAISI will advance the Initiative along three pillars: facilitating industry-led development of agent standards and US leadership in international standards bodies, fostering community-led open-source protocol development and maintenance for AI agents, and advancing research in AI agent security and identity. NIST has stated that it will leverage public input mechanisms, including convenings, listening sessions, and requests for information. Stakeholders may respond to CAISI’s Request for Information on AI Agent Security, which is due on 9 March 2026, and to ITL’s AI Agent Identity and Authorisation Concept Paper, which is due on 2 April 2026. Further research, guidelines, and deliverables are expected to follow.