AI Agents in Action: Why Evaluation and Governance Matter Now

Insights from the World Economic Forum’s latest white paper, with contributions from Nebahat Arslan*, Global Head of Partnerships at Women in AI.

Artificial intelligence is entering a new chapter — one defined not only by powerful models, but by AI agents capable of reasoning, collaborating, adapting and acting autonomously on behalf of humans. As these systems move from early prototypes to real-world deployment, they present extraordinary opportunities for productivity, creativity and decision-making.

But they also raise urgent questions:

• How do we evaluate agents that learn and behave dynamically?

• How do we ensure safety when systems act independently?

• How do organisations build trust when AI’s behaviour becomes less predictable?

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These questions sit at the heart of the new World Economic Forum white paper, AI Agents in Action: Foundations for Evaluation and Governance, developed in collaboration with Capgemini.

We are proud that Nebahat Arslan, Women in AI’s Global Head of Partnerships, contributed to this work — helping to bring an inclusive, global perspective to one of the most important discussions shaping the future of AI.

Closing the Governance Gap

According to the paper, 82% of executives plan to adopt AI agents within the next one to three years. Yet most organisations remain unsure how to evaluate, manage or govern these systems responsibly.

This creates a widening gap between rapid experimentation and mature oversight — a gap that can introduce new risks across autonomy, safety, system integration and trust.

The white paper addresses this gap by offering a structured foundation for organisations:

• A clear technical architecture for understanding how agentic systems work

• A functional classification framework that considers role, autonomy, predictability and context

• A progressive, “fit-for-purpose” approach to governance

• Practical case studies demonstrating how safeguards can scale with capability

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This framework is designed not just to guide adoption, but to ensure agents are deployed in a way that is transparent, accountable and aligned with human values.

Towards Safe and Inclusive Agentic AI

One of the paper’s strongest messages is that evaluation must become as rigorous as design. As agents gain autonomy, organisations need standards that can:

• Monitor behaviour continuously

• Assess reliability in dynamic environments

• Detect misalignment early

• Create consistency across increasingly complex, multi-agent ecosystems

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By promoting transparency and scalable governance, the report highlights how organisations can build trustworthy human-AI collaboration — a necessary foundation as agentic systems become embedded across industries and public life.

Women in AI’s contribution emphasises the importance of inclusion, representation and global diversity in this evolution. The future of AI must be shaped by the communities it will impact, and WAI remains committed to ensuring that women and underrepresented groups have a meaningful voice in global AI governance.

Exploring the Future Together

As the world moves into the age of agentic AI, the stakes are rising — and so is the need for shared standards, shared insight and shared responsibility. This white paper marks an important step toward that collective understanding.

To explore the full report, download it here: https://reports.weforum.org/docs/WEF_AI_Agents_in_Action_Foundations_for_Evaluation_and_Governance_2025.pdf

Stay connected for more insights and for our upcoming global webinar in January, where we will examine the future of agentic systems and responsible governance in greater depth.

Nebahat Arslan is an international lawyer, governance expert and global partnerships leader whose work spans law, AI policy and cross-border collaboration. Her contribution to this white paper reflects her ongoing commitment to shaping responsible, inclusive and globally aligned AI futures.