# Who gets to define an AI agent's intent?

DevFeed: [Who gets to define an AI agent's intent?](<https://devfeed.tech/articles/who-gets-to-define-an-ai-agent-s-intent-27010.md>)

Original publisher: [Read original article](<https://workos.com/blog/define-ai-agent-intent>)

Author: WorkOS

Published: 2026-09-15T20:25:55Z

Content type: article

Language: en

Sources: [WorkOS Blog](<https://devfeed.tech/sources/workos-blog.md>)

Topics: [AI Agent](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai-agent.md>), [Artificial Intelligence](<https://devfeed.tech/topics/ai.md>)

Tags: [ai](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai.md>), [ai-agent](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/ai-agent.md>), [identity](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/identity.md>), [policy](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/policy.md>), [scopes](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/scopes.md>), [tool](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/tool.md>), [workflow](<https://devfeed.tech/tags/workflow.md>)

## AI overview

The article explains how to define an AI agent's intent while preserving identity, resource-access controls, and company policy. It argues that the requester should specify the agent's purpose and intended effects, while the organization determines which actions are permitted. Using Airlock examples, it distinguishes task intent from policy decisions such as approval or denial of specific operations.

## Source excerpt

An agent's task describes the work to do. Learn how to define useful intent while keeping identity, resource access, and company policy in force.