Modern AI systems are powerful — but their security model is primitive.
Most AI systems rely on:
Static API keys
Environment secrets
Implicit trust
These mechanisms were designed for scripts, not autonomous actors.
API keys and secrets are just passwords.
They can be:
Copied
Logged
Leaked
Shared
Reused
Once leaked, there is no cryptographic way to prove:
Who used the key
What intent was approved
Whether the action was legitimate
AI systems today operate with blanket authority.
If the key works, the action executes.
This creates a dangerous mismatch:
Highly capable systems
Weak authorization primitives
AI agents:
Act continuously
Chain actions automatically
Operate at machine speed
Trigger irreversible effects
Yet they are authorized using:
Long-lived secrets
Broad permissions
No intent verification
This is not a bug — it is a limitation of secret-based trust.
Last updated 4 days ago
Was this helpful?
