What happens when fraudsters don’t just use AI - but deploy autonomous agents to attack you at scale? In this session, Patrick Harding (Chief Product Architect, Ping Identity) breaks down the 2026 fraud playbook through the lens of AI-driven identity. As AI agents gain the ability to act on behalf of users - accessing systems, data, and services - they introduce a dangerous new attack surface. From delegated access to invisible impersonation, we’ll expose how fraudsters exploit gaps in identity, not just controls. This session will challenge how you think about fraud - and why identity is now the front line of defense.

Key Takeaways

- Understand how AI agents acting on behalf of users create a new, scalable fraud vector
- Learn why “delegation vs. impersonation” is the critical battleground in stopping next-gen fraud
- Identify how fraudsters exploit gaps across identity layers (users, APIs, workloads, agents) to move undetected
- Discover why traditional fraud controls fail when machines—not humans—initiate transactions
- Walk away with practical strategies like agent detection, least privilege, and human-in-the-loop controls to reduce risk