The Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) has released new guidance on Agentic AI Harnesses, highlighting the security, governance and operational risks organisations need to consider as they adopt agentic AI systems. The publication shifts attention beyond large language models (LLMs) to the software layer that connects models with organisational data, tools and systems.

According to ASD, the AI harness is a critical component of an agentic AI system because it determines what information an agent receives, which tools it can access, what actions it can perform and what controls are applied.
Why Agentic AI Harnesses Matter

An agentic AI system combines an LLM with external tools, data ...