Can you create your own AI agents?
Short answer
Yes, you can create AI agents by connecting large language models to external tools, APIs, and data sources. These systems use model reasoning to execute multi-step workflows autonomously. Anyone with basic software development skills or access to agentic orchestration platforms can build them. However, giving autonomous software the ability to take real-world actions introduces significant operational and cybersecurity risks that require strict guardrails.
The details
AI agents differ from standard chatbots because they can independently make decisions and call external systems. Instead of only generating text, an agent can query databases, read emails, or trigger software commands. Frameworks like the NCSC Guidelines for Secure AI System Development recommend incorporating security across the entire development life cycle, from design and development through deployment and operations.
Security is the central challenge when building agents. If an agent has access to sensitive tools, untrusted data can hijack its execution through prompt injection. Initiatives like the OWASP GenAI Security Project highlight risks like excessive agency and data breaches. You should evaluate your operational exposure with an agentic SOC readiness assessment to ensure adequate safeguards are in place before deployment.
What to do
- Define narrow, specific tasks and boundary conditions for the agent before writing code.
- Select a reliable foundation model and an agent orchestration framework.
- Restrict the agent's API permissions and data access using the principle of least privilege.
- Implement strict validation and sanitization for all external inputs and system outputs.
- Require human approval for high-risk actions such as modifying data or sending financial transactions.
- Log and monitor agent tool calls, decisions, and errors in a secure audit log.
Useful next reads and tools
Terms explained
- HTTPS and TLS
- HTTPS is HTTP protected by TLS encryption, which keeps data between a browser and a website private and tamper-resistant and confirms the site controls its domain.
- Prompt injection
- Prompt injection is an attack on AI applications in which crafted input, typed directly or hidden in content the model reads, overrides the developer’s instructions.
- SOC (security operations center)
- A security operations center (SOC) is the team, in-house or outsourced, that monitors systems for threats, triages alerts and leads the technical response to incidents.