World Economic Forum – AI Agents in Action: Foundations for Evaluation and Governance

AI agents represent a transformative step beyond predictive models and chat interfaces.

The report focuses on the evolving role of AI agents as integrated collaborators in business, public services, and everyday life. It addresses the technical foundations, evaluation, risk assessment, and governance of AI agents. The paper maps evolving foundations, classifies AI agents, proposes evaluation methods, and outlines progressive governance approaches. It emphasizes starting small, iterating carefully, and applying proportionate safeguards to deploy AI agents safely and effectively, providing practical guidance for leaders adopting AI agents in real-world contexts.