Google Cloud publishes blueprint for securing agentic AI in manufacturing

Google Cloud has set out a blueprint for securing agentic artificial intelligence in manufacturing, arguing that AI agents are moving past analysis into reasoning about operational anomalies, planning multi-step tasks and executing authorised actions on the factory floor.

The framework groups manufacturing AI opportunities into enterprise business operations, engineering and industrial operations, and unified cybersecurity and resilience, with security and resilience treated as foundational. Vinod D’Souza, director for manufacturing and industrial at Google Cloud’s Office of the CISO, and Sri Gourisetti, an AI architect at the company, wrote that industrial CISOs must balance AI scale against precision, physical safety and operational resilience.

Google Cloud cited Deloitte’s AI in Manufacturing 2026 study, which found 84% of industrial organisations report measurable returns from AI while only one in five uses has been scaled across the business. It identified six use-case clusters, including secure-by-design product connectivity, Zero Trust edge migration, connected fleet operations and supply-chain governance.

The company recommended that manufacturers start with a targeted operational bottleneck, assess data readiness, put governance and access controls around AI agents, and run pilots in isolated environments or digital twins while keeping unified visibility across IT and OT networks.