The Non-Human Identity Management Group recently launched a LinkedIn poll asking: Does Agentic AI Security = NHI Security?
Very interesting results on how the community perceives the relationship between Agentic AI security and NHI security:
- Yes – 35%
- No – 65%
It is not surprising to see the majority responding “No.” This reflects a growing understanding that while agentic AI systems and NHIs often overlap, they are not the same security problem. Securing autonomous AI agents introduces challenges around decision autonomy, model behavior, and runtime control, whereas NHI security focuses more broadly on identity, authentication, authorization, lifecycle management, and governance of non-human actors across environments.
That said, the 35% “Yes” response is equally important. It highlights that there is still meaningful confusion, or at least conceptual overlap, in how organizations think about AI agents versus NHIs. This is understandable, as many AI agents are implemented as NHIs, using service accounts, API keys, tokens, or certificates to operate. However, equating the two can lead to gaps, where identity risks are underestimated or AI-specific risks are oversimplified.
This poll clearly demonstrates two things. First, awareness of NHI-specific security challenges is increasing across the industry. Second, there is a strong need for continued education to clearly articulate where Agentic AI security intersects with NHI security, and where it diverges.
As Agentic AI adoption accelerates and AI agents gain persistent identities, privileges, and access to critical systems, understanding this distinction will be essential. Organizations that treat Agentic AI security and NHI security as identical risk domains may miss critical controls, while those that understand their relationship, but manage them intentionally, will be far better positioned to secure both safely and at scale.
