As AI agents grow in power and complexity, Gartner predicts guardian agents will play a crucial role in managing risk and ensuring responsible outcomes.
As artificial intelligence becomes more autonomous and widespread, the need for safeguards has never been more urgent. Enter “Guardian Agents” that are AI technologies designed to supervise and protect AI operations. According to Gartner, these watchdog tools will make up 10–15% of the agentic AI market by 2030.
Unveiled at Gartner’s annual conference on June 12, 2025, this forecast comes at a time when enterprises are increasingly adopting AI agents like intelligent systems that make decisions, take actions, and interact with both humans and machines. However, with growing use comes growing risk.
What are guardian agents?
Guardian agents are specialized AI systems built to ensure safe, reliable, and ethical behavior from other AI agents. They act as reviewers, monitors, and protectors, overseeing AI-generated outputs, tracking activities, and even blocking harmful actions when needed. They are critical in identifying manipulated inputs, preventing agent deviation, and securing AI operations from misuse or external threats.
Growing adoption, rising risks
A recent Gartner poll of 147 CIOs and IT leaders shows the technology is gaining traction:
24% have already deployed a few AI agents, while 4% have deployed over a dozen.
50% are experimenting, and 17% plan deployment by 2026. But as AI systems gain autonomy, risks multiply. These include data poisoning, credential theft, and rogue behaviors that can disrupt operations or damage reputations. In fact, 52% of early adopters use AI agents for internal functions like IT and HR, while 23% deploy them for customer-facing roles, making oversight even more critical.
Why guardian agents matter
“Agentic AI will lead to unwanted outcomes if it is not controlled with the right guardrails,” said Avivah Litan, VP Analyst at Gartner. “Guardian agents act as AI’s safety net for evaluating decisions in real time, identifying anomalies, and stepping in before damage is done.”
Gartner emphasizes three key roles for guardian agents:
Reviewers: Validate outputs for accuracy and safety.
Monitors: Track activity and flag concerns.
Protectors: Intervene when actions become risky.
With Gartner predicting that 70% of AI applications will use multi-agent systems by 2028, the report sends a clear message: the age of autonomous AI demands automated oversight. Guardian agents may soon be as essential as the AI they’re built to protect.