In an essay for Noema Magazine, Renée DiResta argues that as AI agents increasingly populate the internet, online systems will need reliable ways to verify that a morally and legally accountable person stands behind a given action. She contends that proof-of-personhood credentials are emerging as a proposed fix, but warns they function as foundational public infrastructure that shapes who can act, speak, and be trusted online. DiResta cautions that such systems could become invasive checkpoints or concentrate power among a small number of private issuers, and calls instead for privacy-protecting designs with multiple issuers and revocable delegation for AI agents acting on a person’s behalf.
