Guardian AI Agents to Dominate 15% of Market by 2030

Guardian agent technologies are forecast to represent 10-15% of the agentic AI market by 2030, according to a recent report by Gartner. These AI-based systems are designed to ensure trustworthy and secure interactions with AI, functioning as assistants for tasks like content review, monitoring, and analysis.

Growth of AI Oversight Tools

A Gartner poll from May 2025 surveyed 147 CIOs and IT leaders, revealing:

• 24% had deployed fewer than 12 AI agents.
• 4% had deployed more than a dozen.
• 50% were researching or experimenting with the technology.
• 17% planned to deploy AI agents by end of 2026.

As AI adoption grows, the need for guardian agents—tools that provide automated trust, risk, and security controls—is accelerating.

"Agentic AI will lead to unwanted outcomes if it is not controlled with the right guardrails," said Avivah Litan, VP Distinguished Analyst at Gartner. "Guardian agents leverage AI capabilities to oversee and manage agentic AI, balancing runtime decision-making with risk management."

Threat Landscape

The poll also highlighted:

• 52% of respondents deploy or plan to deploy AI agents for internal tasks (IT, HR, accounting).
• 23% focus on customer-facing functions.

Key security threats include:

• Input manipulation and data poisoning.
• Credential hijacking leading to unauthorized access.
• Exposure to falsified online resources.
• Agent deviation causing reputational or operational harm.

"The rapid acceleration of AI agents necessitates a shift beyond traditional human oversight," Litan added. "Guardian agents provide automated oversight, control, and security for AI applications."

Role of Guardian Agents

Gartner recommends for guardian agents: