Bottom line: Estonia plans to equip AI agents with their own digital identities to make their actions on behalf of citizens and businesses legally traceable and to limit permissions granularly.
Estonia’s government is developing a system that would equip AI agents with their own digital identities and unique numbers, enabling them to legally execute tasks on behalf of citizens and businesses. The concept provides for granularly definable permissions to precisely assign rights and responsibilities.
The advisory board Eesti.ai developed the proposal, with Prime Minister Kristen Michal supporting the project. Each AI agent would receive a unique digital identity. This would make it possible to control access to accounts, data and administrative services granularly, rather than granting unrestricted powers of attorney.
Under the plans, AI agents could prepare tax returns, create reports, or communicate with digital government systems. Permissions could be defined in stages – such as viewing information only, preparing documents, or initiating payments up to a maximum amount. Michal emphasizes: “It must be clear who is acting, on whose behalf actions are being taken, what rights exist, and who ultimately bears responsibility.”
Estonia views this as an evolution of its existing digital infrastructure. The country has long relied on electronic identities, digital signatures, and the X Road data exchange platform. The government sees the initiative as an opportunity to establish an international standard for digital administration in the age of AI and could become one of the first nations to grant AI agents officially recognized digital identities.
Technical implementation remains open. Neither a concrete timeline nor binding legal framework has been presented so far. Questions of liability and security are likely to be central in further development, particularly in the context of the EU AI Act.
In parallel, the government is advancing programs to promote AI competency. As part of the initiative “The AI Competent Nation,” 35 workshops took place between April and June across six Estonian cities, with around 1,200 participants. The number of participants is expected to grow to 10,000 by the end of the year; additional training offerings as well as a trainer and partner network are planned.
Source: www.it-daily.net · Published June 18, 2026
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