> Markdown version of [/videos/100444-give-the-agent-a-budget-not-a-token?t=335](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100444-give-the-agent-a-budget-not-a-token?t=335). Every page supports `.md` or `Accept: text/markdown`. Links point to the HTML versions so they work for humans too. Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Give the Agent a Budget, Not a Token An empty bash variable can cause a helpful AI to wipe out staging workloads. Protect your infrastructure by giving agents regenerating action budgets instead of static tokens. - **Speakers:** [Sachin Malhotra](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/@sachin-malhotra) - **Event:** World Congress 2026 North America - **Published:** September 25, 2026 - **Duration:** 26:00 - **URL:** https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100444-give-the-agent-a-budget-not-a-token - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/9949fdb7eaa7b402da473ab08afb7bd9/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=337352ms ## Access Playback and chapters for this video are available with a Free account. ## Related Moments - [Why tool-using AI agents require behavioral governance](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100518-test-before-release-enforce-at-runtime-governance-for-tool-using-ai-agents) (from "Test Before Release, Enforce at Runtime: Governance for Tool-Using AI Agents") - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/86d9ef56c24a4476065fe567030a4c90/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=112441ms - [Treating autonomous agents as privileged identities requiring safety guardrails](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2152-how-to-stop-your-agents-from-going-rogue-arnav-gupta) (from "How to Stop Your Agents From Going Rogue - Arnav Gupta") - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/efed2227bf66b99486ba84dfa6499685/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=125420ms - [Mitigating excessive agency through scoped tool access](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1637-delay-the-ai-overlords-how-oauth-and-openfga-can-keep-your-ai-agents-from-going-rogue) (from "Delay the AI Overlords: How OAuth and OpenFGA Can Keep Your AI Agents from Going Rogue") - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/3036d9bbcdfe68d466cc9533f8a36d5e/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=122605ms - [Managing autonomous agent trust and cloud permission gaps](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100095-no-keys-for-the-robot-gitops-as-the-control-plane-for-autonomous-agents) (from "No Keys for the Robot: GitOps as the Control Plane for Autonomous Agents") - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/7551be61472a16ebcba264a26273739e/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=86590ms - [Shifting security models from passive chatbots to active agents](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2093-from-shadow-ai-to-secure-intelligence-safe-ai-usage-in-the-enterprise) (from "From Shadow AI to Secure Intelligence: Safe AI Usage in the Enterprise") - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/d8ec1307b787c33efa86b61c9d7f2ac2/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=120300ms - [Introduction to securing open source AI agent infrastructure](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100438-securing-ai-agent-infrastructure-identity-attestation-and-trust-at-scale) (from "Securing AI Agent Infrastructure: Identity, Attestation, and Trust at Scale") - **Thumbnail URL:** https://customer-goifxnzhrq3d0d54.cloudflarestream.com/60679119458e1547bacbd3c007a0b280/thumbnails/thumbnail.jpg?time=117235ms ## Related Articles - [ I Gave a Video Editor More Autonomy Than a Trading Bot. 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