AI agents were everywhere at RSAC. What's next?

AI agent marketing was off the charts; integration not so much…

The marketing of AI agents was frankly overwhelming — virtually every vendor at RSAC claimed to offer an agentic AI solution. Whether it was AI management, compliance frameworks, identity mapping for agents or applications we haven’t yet conceived, the exhibition floor was a testament to how quickly this technology is transforming the security landscape.

However, over the past year, CISOs have struggled to integrate AI into security processes, balancing the efficiency promises of AI against rigorous testing requirements and security protocols. The central question remains: Are enterprise security leaders, who last year were just beginning to consider and adopt co-pilots, prepared to deploy autonomous AI systems throughout their environments?

More critically, how do organizations capitalize on the benefits of agentic AI, like automated security incident resolution, while addressing fundamental concerns around securing the agents themselves, establishing proper identity frameworks and maintaining organizational control?