What a first-class agent identity actually is, and whether it is just workload identity

What this post added

This post defines the four essential components of a first-class agent identity: a distinct principal, scoped permissions, a clear owner, and an independent kill switch. It contrasts this with common alternatives like shared service accounts, per-user impersonation, and static secrets, highlighting their shortcomings. The post further elaborates on the conditions under which agent identity collapses into workload identity (one-to-one mapping, registry as source of truth, identity continuity) and when it requires a separate layer, citing examples from Microsoft and AWS. It sets the stage for future discussions on identity propagation across hops and trust domains.