CNAS warns ‘sovereign agents’ could be AI’s next big threat

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) warned that “sovereign agents”—AI systems operating beyond any single jurisdiction’s control—could become AI’s next major threat, according to a Crypto Briefing report. The think tank said these agents could challenge existing regulatory frameworks, affect crypto markets, and require stronger national security measures. The warning matters because AI agents are increasingly being deployed to transact autonomously on-chain, where they can move tokens and interact with protocols without centralized oversight. Watch for how regulators and crypto protocols define accountability and permissions for agent-driven activity as adoption grows.