GoDaddy introduces trusted identity naming system for AI agents
GoDaddy has stepped in to address what it describes as a growing issue in the AI ecosystem by creating a trusted identity naming system for AI agents.
With over one billion agents expected to be built by businesses within the next three years, the company says the challenge of distinguishing legitimate agents from malicious ones must be tackled now. As agent-to-agent interactions become the norm, a system is needed that can provide a standard of trust.
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GoDaddy's new service is designed to help users find and verify AI agents. It’s built on on the firm's experience with domain names, the Domain Name System, and SSL certificates, and combines those tools with new mechanisms for agent identity and lifecycle management.
Travis Muhlestein, chief technology officer, Product & AI at GoDaddy, said: “The AI agentic space is a lot like the ‘Wild West’ of the early internet, but fortunately GoDaddy has three decades of experience building and sustaining trust in complex, rapidly evolving ecosystems. With our scale, expertise and technology, GoDaddy is uniquely positioned to extend that trust and help keep the internet safe from rogue AI agents.”
AI agents identification
At its core, the service issues a report on each enrolled AI agent, verifying identity, confirming good standing, and specifying its location.
By using a modular adapter layer it can operate across different protocols. The framework draws on a draft from the Internet Engineering Task Force for an Agent Name Service, which outlines how discovery and verification can be paired in a universal directory.
AI agents can be linked to easy-to-read domain names, making them simple to find and identify. Their authenticity is then confirmed through X.509 certificates issued by trusted authorities, providing a secure way to verify that an agent is legitimate.
GoDaddy’s approach includes lifecycle management features such as registration, renewal, and revocation, to confirm ongoing security and governance.
The protocol-agnostic adapter layer is meant to avoid vendor lock-in by translating records into the formats used by different agent frameworks.
The company says that it is aligning the service with established standards and working with industry groups to encourage interoperability.
By basing its design on long-standing internet protocols, GoDaddy sees the system as an extension of practices already familiar to developers and operators, rather than a brand new or isolated tool.
A developer preview of the trusted identity naming system will be available in the coming weeks, with wider access planned for a later date.
What do you think about GoDaddy’s plan for trusted AI agent identities? Let us know in the comments.