Dictionary entry Trending
bounded authority
also AI agent bounded authority or agent bounded authority or bounded agent authority
Definition of bounded authority
-
: a security principle under which an AI agent receives only explicitly scoped and enforceable power to perform particular actions for a limited task, time, resource, or budget, without access to broader credentials or the ability to expand that power through delegation
- Bounded authority let the coding agent open a pull request in one repository but prevented it from reading other projects.
- The payment agent operated with bounded authority: it could issue small refunds but needed human approval above the preset limit.
Two meanings, one word
In everyday English
Power or permission that has a defined limit.
In AI
A security principle under which an AI agent receives only explicitly scoped and enforceable power to perform particular actions for a limited task, time, resource, or…
Origin & history
The underlying idea comes from longstanding least-privilege and object-capability security, in which possession of a narrowly scoped capability grants specific authority. In 2026, bounded authority became a recurring phrase in AI-agent security for permissions that remain limited, observable, and revocable as agents use tools or delegate work.
Editorial references
Sources & further reading
- Consensys NIST/CAISI AI Agent Systems RFI Comment Letter↗ Consensys · 2026-03-09
- AI Agent Identity Security & Standards Guide↗ Palo Alto Networks · 2026-10
- Edera's Object Capability Bounded Authority Promises to Isolate Credentials From AI Agent Workloads↗ InfoQ · 2026-11-06
Test yourself
Which of these is the meaning of bounded authority?
Cite this entry
"Bounded authority." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/bounded-authority/. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.