Estonia will begin developing a digital identity for AI agents, known as AI-isikukood. The council of Eesti.ai, under Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, has endorsed the project, which aims to enable these systems to operate on behalf of individuals, companies, or institutions within defined and verifiable limits, according to the government’s website.
According to Kallas, in the future, artificial intelligence will increasingly perform digital tasks on behalf of users, such as preparing reports, filing declarations, or interacting with information systems. It will be essential to clarify who is acting, on whose behalf, with what rights, and who is responsible.
“If we act quickly and wisely, Estonia will become the first country in the world to create an official digital identity for AI agents,” the Prime Minister stated.
Why Digital IDs for Agents?
The AI-isikukood aims to address the issue of excessive access. Currently, users, companies, or institutions may have to grant AI assistants overly broad permissions. Estonian authorities want to replace this with limited powers. An agent will only be able to act within specified rights: for example, viewing data, preparing documents, initiating payments, or operating within set limits.
Kallas described the concept as issuing “limited, controlled, and auditable powers.” The timeline for launching the system, its technical architecture, and the mechanism for accountability in case of potential losses have not yet been disclosed.
What Does Eesti.ai Do?
The Eesti.ai initiative was launched by the government on January 27. Its immediate priorities include education, healthcare, and security. The program aims to systematically integrate artificial intelligence into the economy and public administration.
On April 9, the Eesti.ai council approved 15 projects expected to have a significant impact. These projects cover skills, healthcare, entrepreneurship, the public sector, education, and infrastructure. By June, some of these projects had moved into the analysis, market consultations, tenders, and partnership preparation stages. According to authorities, the area of AI skills training is progressing the fastest.
Infrastructure
The AI-isikukood project relies on Estonia's existing digital infrastructure. According to the Bürokratt website, from 2026, each agency or subject area will be able to use its own personalized AI agent as part of a unified cooperative network.
Another related project is Aruait. The state information system RIA describes it as a sovereign management layer for AI agents in the public sector. It aims to help define the technical architecture, pilots, and collaboration models for systems acting on behalf of individuals, companies, or government bodies.
According to Decrypt, the idea of AI-isikukood continues Estonia's broader push towards digital identification. The country already has an electronic ID for citizens and e-Residency for foreigners.
In June, the Anthropic team published a blog post on Claude titled Zero Trust for AI Agents, which provides guidance on the safe deployment of autonomous AI agents in corporate environments. The document outlines key risks associated with agent systems and approaches to business cybersecurity.