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A runtime software component that intercepts agent actions and evaluates them against a set of deterministic governance rules before execution.
Unlike LLM-based guardrails, a Policy Engine is deterministic. It evaluates tool calls (e.g., Can this agent call the SQL API?) in sub-milliseconds. Enterprise platforms link these engines to Regulatory Controls, ensuring every autonomous action is legally compliant in real-time.
Real world example:
When an AI agent attempts to Write to Payroll, the Agentic Policy Engine checks the organization's whitelist and instantly blocks the action because the agent's identity lacks the required Executive tier permissions.
