Estonia Backs Digital ID System for AI Agents

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The Estonian government is preparing to issue digital identities to AI agents, aiming to give automated systems limited, verifiable, and auditable authority when acting on behalf of people and organizations.

Prime Minister Kristen Michal backed the Eesti.ai advisory board’s proposal on June 17, saying Estonia could become the first country to establish official AI ID codes, and that it “must be clear who is acting, on whose behalf, with what rights, and who is responsible.” The proposed system would give an AI agent an identity distinct from the person, business, or public body it represents.

Under the model, users could grant an agent permission to perform limited tasks, such as viewing data, preparing a document, initiating a payment, or spending within a fixed financial limit. This would avoid giving AI tools the same unrestricted access to accounts, services, and personal information as their owners.

Michal said:

The success of Estonia’s digital state was born of trust. Digital identity, X-Road, the digital signature, and the data tracker have made our country faster, simpler, and more secure. Now we face the same question in the age of AI agents: how to use new technology so that convenience grows, but control and accountability are not lost.

However, the proposal remains at an early stage. The government has not announced an implementation timetable or explained how responsibility would be assigned if an authorized agent caused financial loss or mishandled data.