arXiv:2511.17959v1 Announce Type: cross 
Abstract: As AI agents attempt to autonomously act on users' behalf, they raise transparency and control issues. We argue that permission-based access control is indispensable in providing meaningful control to the users, but conventional permission models are inadequate for the automated agentic execution paradigm. We therefore propose automated permission management for AI agents. Our key idea is to conduct a user study to identify the factors influencing users' permission decisions and to encode these factors into an ML-based permission management assistant capable of predicting users' future decisions. We find that participants' permission decisions are influenced by communication context but importantly individual preferences tend to remain consistent within contexts, and align with those of other participants. Leveraging these insights, we develop a permission prediction model achieving 85.1% accuracy overall and 94.4% for high-confidence predictions. We find that even without using permission history, our model achieves an accuracy of 66.9%, and a slight increase of training samples (i.e., 1-4) can substantially increase the accuracy by 10.8%.

تسلط الأبحاث الحديثة الضوء على ضرورة إدارة الأذونات بشكل آلي لوكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي، حيث تعالج قضايا الشفافية والسيطرة بينما يعمل هؤلاء الوكلاء نيابة عن المستخدمين. كشفت دراسة للمستخدمين أن التفضيلات الفردية تؤثر بشكل كبير على قرارات الأذونات، مما أدى إلى تطوير نموذج تعلم آلي قادر على التنبؤ بهذه القرارات بدقة عالية.

Investigaciones recientes destacan la necesidad de una gestión automatizada de permisos para agentes de IA, abordando problemas de transparencia y control a medida que estos agentes actúan en nombre de los usuarios. Un estudio con usuarios reveló que las preferencias individuales influyen significativamente en las decisiones de permisos, lo que llevó al desarrollo de un modelo de aprendizaje automático capaz de predecir estas decisiones con alta precisión.

Des recherches récentes soulignent la nécessité d'une gestion automatisée des autorisations pour les agents IA, abordant les problèmes de transparence et de contrôle alors que ces agents agissent au nom des utilisateurs. Une étude utilisateur a révélé que les préférences individuelles influencent considérablement les décisions d'autorisation, menant au développement d'un modèle d'apprentissage automatique capable de prédire ces décisions avec une grande précision.

Recent research highlights the necessity of automated permission management for AI agents, addressing transparency and control issues as these agents act on users' behalf. A user study revealed that individual preferences significantly influence permission decisions, leading to the development of a machine learning model that predicts these decisions with high accuracy.

Towards Automating Data Access Permissions in AI Agents

This was supposed to be the year of AI agents, but only 11% of organizations are currently actively using them. So, what happened?

في عام 2025، لم يتحقق الارتفاع المتوقع لوكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي، حيث استخدمت 11% فقط من المنظمات هذه التكنولوجيا بنشاط، وفقًا لتقرير ديلويت. تعكس هذه الحالة اتجاهًا أوسع من الشكوك تجاه تقنيات الذكاء الاصطناعي، التي كان من المتوقع أن تهيمن على المشهد التجاري هذا العام.

En 2025, el esperado auge de los agentes de IA no se ha materializado, con solo el 11% de las organizaciones utilizándolos activamente, según Deloitte. Esta situación refleja una tendencia más amplia de escepticismo hacia las tecnologías de IA, que se esperaba que dominaran el panorama empresarial este año.

En 2025, la montée attendue des agents d'IA ne s'est pas concrétisée, avec seulement 11 % des organisations les utilisant activement, selon Deloitte. Cette situation reflète une tendance plus large de scepticisme envers les technologies d'IA, qui étaient censées dominer le paysage commercial cette année.

In 2025, the anticipated rise of AI agents has not materialized, with only 11% of organizations actively utilizing them, as reported by Deloitte. This situation reflects a broader trend of skepticism surrounding AI technologies, which were expected to dominate the business landscape this year.

Why AI agents failed to take over in 2025 - it's 'a story as old as time,' says Deloitte

<p>You've probably heard the hype. Coinbase and Cloudflare launched x402—an open protocol that finally brings HTTP 402 "Payment Required" to life. Zero fees. Instant settlement. Self-custody. One-line integration.</p>

<p>It sounds revolutionary. For the emerging AI agent economy, it sounds <em>essential</em>.</p>

<p><strong>But here's the question nobody's asking: If x402 is so great, where are the real applications?</strong></p>

<p>Let's dig in.</p>

<h2>
  
  
  The Promise: Perfect for AI Agents
</h2>

<p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fqokl77vcj1ghv1d0f7c4.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fqokl77vcj1ghv1d0f7c4.png" alt="x402 Payment Flow" width="800" height="446"></a></p>

<p>In theory, x402 is a perfect fit for AI agents.</p>

<p>When agents call external tools or communicate with other agents, they do it via HTTP. The 402 status code provides elegant semantics: "This resource requires payment." The response includes exactly how much, to whom, and in what currency.</p>

<p>For <strong>resource providers</strong>, adding x402 middleware means instant monetization. Your API can now charge per request—no Stripe integration, no monthly invoices, no chargebacks.</p>

<p>For <strong>AI agents</strong>, using <code>x402-fetch</code> or <code>x402-axios</code> means seamless payments. The agent requests a resource, gets a 402 response, signs a payment, and retries. All automatic.<br>
</p>

<div class="highlight js-code-highlight">
<pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>Agent → GET /api/data
Server → 402 Payment Required ($0.01 USDC)
Agent → Signs payment, resends request
Server → 200 OK (here's your data)
</code></pre>

</div>



<p>Beautiful. Elegant. <em>Theoretical.</em></p>

<h2>
  
  
  The Reality: Three Critical Gaps
</h2>

<p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F7zcxaextiy7k00ywvoyl.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2F7zcxaextiy7k00ywvoyl.png" alt="Three Critical Gaps" width="800" height="446"></a></p>

<p>Let's slow down. Where does the money actually come from? How does the AI agent sign a payment?</p>

<p>Coinbase offers two paths:</p>

<ol>
<li>
<strong>Browser-based</strong>: When a user visits a paid resource, a wallet extension (like MetaMask) prompts for payment.</li>
<li>
<strong>MCP-based</strong>: AI assistants use Coinbase's Payment MCP to sign transactions automatically.</li>
</ol>

<p>For AI agent use cases, the MCP approach is the relevant one. But it comes with serious limitations.</p>

<h3>
  
  
  Gap #1: Desktop-Only
</h3>

<p>To use Coinbase's Payment MCP, you need:</p>

<ul>
<li>A desktop AI client (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.)</li>
<li>The Coinbase Payment MCP installed</li>
<li>USDC funded to the MCP's derived wallet</li>
</ul>

<p><strong>What if your users are on mobile?</strong> Out of luck.</p>

<p><strong>What if they don't have Claude Desktop?</strong> Can't participate.</p>

<p><strong>What if they're using a web-based AI interface?</strong> Sorry.</p>

<p>This isn't a minor inconvenience—it excludes the majority of potential users.</p>

<h3>
  
  
  Gap #2: No Automation Support
</h3>

<p>Let's say you want to build an n8n workflow that calls paid APIs. Or a backend service that uses premium data sources. Or a scheduled job that pays for resources on a cron.</p>

<p>With the current MCP model, you can't. The payment infrastructure is locked inside desktop AI clients. There's no HTTP API to call, no server-side SDK to import.</p>

<p><strong>Automation is the entire point of AI agents.</strong> A payment system that only works in interactive desktop sessions defeats the purpose.</p>

<h3>
  
  
  Gap #3: Zero Spend Controls
</h3>

<p>This is the scary one.</p>

<p>In Coinbase's Payment MCP, when an AI agent encounters a 402 response, it signs the payment. Automatically. Unconditionally.</p>

<ul>
<li>Resource asks for $0.01? Paid.</li>
<li>Resource asks for $100? Paid.</li>
<li>Resource asks for $10,000? <em>Paid.</em>
</li>
</ul>

<p>There's no:</p>

<ul>
<li>Per-transaction limit</li>
<li>Daily spending cap</li>
<li>Recipient whitelist</li>
<li>Human approval threshold</li>
</ul>

<p>You're giving an AI agent a wallet with no guardrails. In the best case, you overspend on API calls. In the worst case, a malicious or compromised service drains your funds.</p>

<p><strong>This is not acceptable for production use.</strong></p>

<h2>
  
  
  Why We Built 402ok
</h2>

<p>These three gaps explain why x402 hasn't seen real adoption. The protocol is sound. The infrastructure is missing.</p>

<p>That's why we built <a href="https://402ok.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">402ok</a>.</p>

<h3>
  
  
  What is 402ok?
</h3>

<p>402ok is a payment authorization service for AI agents. Think of it as <strong>issuing corporate credit cards—but for AI</strong>.</p>

<p>Instead of giving your AI agent direct wallet access, you give it a <strong>Payment Key</strong>. This key authorizes payments through 402ok's signing service, with controls you define:</p>

<div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Control</th>
<th>Description</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>Per-transaction limit</strong></td>
<td>Maximum USDC per single payment</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Daily spending cap</strong></td>
<td>Maximum total spend per 24 hours</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Recipient whitelist</strong></td>
<td>Only allow payments to specific addresses</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><strong>Allowance balance</strong></td>
<td>Pre-funded budget that depletes with usage</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>

<h3>
  
  
  How It Works
</h3>

<p><a href="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fimvz5kbuinhxrwovwmhc.png" class="article-body-image-wrapper"><img src="https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=800%2Cheight=%2Cfit=scale-down%2Cgravity=auto%2Cformat=auto/https%3A%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Farticles%2Fimvz5kbuinhxrwovwmhc.png" alt="402ok Solution" width="800" height="446"></a><br>
</p>

<div class="highlight js-code-highlight">
<pre class="highlight plaintext"><code>1. Create a Payment Card at app.402ok.com
2. Set spending limits and recipient whitelist
3. Fund the card with USDC allowance
4. Give the Payment Key to your AI agent

When the agent hits a 402 response:
→ 402ok validates against your rules
→ If approved, signs the transaction
→ Deducts from allowance
→ Logs everything for audit
</code></pre>

</div>



<h3>
  
  
  Why This Solves the Gaps
</h3>

<div class="table-wrapper-paragraph"><table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Problem</th>
<th>402ok Solution</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Desktop-only</td>
<td>HTTP API works anywhere—mobile, server, workflows</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No automation</td>
<td>REST endpoints for n8n, scripts, backend services</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>No spend controls</td>
<td>Per-tx limits, daily caps, whitelists, allowances</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table></div>

<h2>
  
  
  Real-World Example: XDOG
</h2>

<p>Theory is nice. Let's see it in action.</p>

<p><a href="https://ai.xdog.meme" rel="noopener noreferrer">XDOG</a> is an AI-powered NFT platform that integrates conversational AI with blockchain actions. Users chat with an AI agent that can:</p>

<ul>
<li>Generate images</li>
<li>Mint NFTs</li>
<li>Access premium features</li>
</ul>

<p>Each of these costs money. Without 402ok, the options would be:</p>

<ol>
<li>Pre-authorize large amounts (risky)</li>
<li>Prompt users for every transaction (terrible UX)</li>
<li>Give the AI full wallet access (terrifying)</li>
</ol>

<p>With 402ok, users create their own Payment Keys with custom controls:</p>

<ul>
<li>$0.10 per-transaction limit</li>
<li>$5.00 daily cap</li>
<li>Whitelisted only to XDOG's service addresses</li>
</ul>

<p>Users bring their own Payment Key to XDOG AI. The AI agent uses this key to pay for resources seamlessly. Users stay in control of their spending. XDOG doesn't need to custody any funds.</p>

<p><strong>This is what controlled, invisible AI payments look like.</strong></p>

<h2>
  
  
  The Path Forward
</h2>

<p>x402 is a breakthrough protocol. HTTP-native payments with zero fees and instant settlement will eventually become standard.</p>

<p>But a protocol alone isn't enough. For AI agents to participate in the economy, they need:</p>

<ol>
<li>
<strong>Access from any environment</strong> (not just desktop apps)</li>
<li>
<strong>Integration with automation tools</strong> (n8n, Zapier, scripts)</li>
<li>
<strong>Granular spending controls</strong> (limits, whitelists, approvals)</li>
</ol>

<p>402ok bridges this gap. It takes the elegance of x402 and makes it production-ready.</p>




<h2>
  
  
  Get Started
</h2>

<ul>
<li>
<strong>Learn about x402</strong>: <a href="https://dev.to/posts/x402-complete-guide">The Complete Guide to x402 Protocol</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>Try 402ok</strong>: <a href="https://402ok.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">402ok.com</a>
</li>
<li>
<strong>See it in action</strong>: <a href="https://ai.xdog.meme" rel="noopener noreferrer">XDOG AI</a>
</li>
</ul>




<p><em>x402 is the future of internet-native payments. 402ok makes that future safe for AI agents.</em></p>

أطلقت Coinbase وCloudflare x402، بروتوكولًا مفتوحًا مصممًا لتنفيذ HTTP 402 'الدفع مطلوب' بدون رسوم، مع تسوية فورية وحفظ ذاتي، يهدف إلى تحسين وظيفة الوكلاء الذكاء الاصطناعي في الاقتصاد الناشئ.

Coinbase y Cloudflare han lanzado x402, un protocolo abierto diseñado para implementar HTTP 402 'Pago Requerido' sin tarifas, con liquidación instantánea y autocustodia, destinado a mejorar la funcionalidad de los agentes de IA en la economía emergente.

Coinbase et Cloudflare ont lancé x402, un protocole ouvert conçu pour mettre en œuvre le HTTP 402 'Paiement requis' sans frais, avec un règlement instantané et une auto-garde, visant à améliorer la fonctionnalité des agents IA dans l'économie émergente.

Coinbase and Cloudflare have launched x402, an open protocol designed to implement HTTP 402 'Payment Required' with zero fees, instant settlement, and self-custody, aimed at enhancing the functionality of AI agents in the emerging economy.

Towards Automating Data Access Permissions in AI Agents

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