Linux Foundation anchors AI agents in DNS

Linux Foundation has launched DNS-AID, an open source project designed to let AI agents discover, verify and connect with one another through the internet’s existing Domain Name System rather than through private registries, vendor directories or hardcoded configuration files.

The project, initially developed at Infoblox, is being positioned as a neutral discovery layer for the emerging agentic web, where software agents are expected to act across websites, enterprise systems, cloud platforms and developer tools with limited human intervention. Its backers argue that agent-to-agent communication will require the same kind of open, scalable naming infrastructure that allowed the public internet to grow beyond closed networks.

DNS-AID, short for DNS AI agent Discovery, uses DNS as a global directory for publishing and finding metadata linked to autonomous agents and Model Context Protocol servers. The approach is intended to allow organisations to advertise agent capabilities inside their own DNS namespace, while giving other systems a standard way to locate the relevant endpoint, access protocol and supporting metadata.

The project comes under Linux Foundation governance with support from Cloudflare, CSC, Equinix, GoDaddy, Indeed, Infoblox, Internet Systems Consortium and WWT. That coalition places DNS-AID at the intersection of internet infrastructure, enterprise networking, domain management and AI application development, reflecting a wider industry push to prevent agent discovery from becoming controlled by a small number of platform operators.

The technical foundation is tied to work advancing through the Internet Engineering Task Force, where a DNS-AID draft was published in March 2026 as a standards-track proposal. The draft describes a method for using DNS to support scalable and interoperable discovery between AI agents, including a structured namespace and record usage model for metadata exchange and capability advertisement. It does not propose changes to DNS message structure, new operation codes, new response codes or new resource record types.

That design choice is central to the project’s appeal. By relying on DNS infrastructure already deployed across public and private networks, DNS-AID seeks to avoid the operational burden and governance risks associated with building a new global registry for agents. Developers can use existing DNS providers and internal DNS systems, while enterprises retain control over their own agent naming and publication policies.

The reference implementation includes a Python software development kit, a command-line interface and an MCP server, giving developers a way to test publication and discovery workflows without waiting for a full standards process to conclude. The project repository describes the implementation as separate from the protocol specification, with protocol-level changes expected to be handled through the IETF process.

Security is one of the main drivers behind the initiative. As agents begin to call tools, trigger workflows, exchange data and act on behalf of users or organisations, weak discovery mechanisms could allow malicious systems to impersonate trusted services or insert themselves into sensitive processes. A compromised discovery path can widen the attack surface even where application-level safeguards and model controls are in place.

DNS-AID’s supporters see DNSSEC, DNS-based Authentication of Named Entities, service binding records and service discovery mechanisms as part of the trust framework needed for agent identity and verification. The aim is not merely to help agents find each other, but to give systems a consistent method for evaluating where an agent is published, who controls its namespace and what metadata is being presented.

The project also fits into a broader Linux Foundation strategy around multi-agent infrastructure. The foundation has already brought agent-focused initiatives such as AGNTCY under its governance, with work covering discovery, identity, messaging and observability across agent systems. DNS-AID is narrower in scope, focusing specifically on DNS-based discovery, but its arrival strengthens the foundation’s role as a neutral venue for agent interoperability projects.

Competition and overlap remain likely. Other proposals, including Agent Name Service and academic work around agent directories, are exploring identity, verification, routing and capability registries for autonomous systems. Some approaches rely more heavily on new directory layers, public key infrastructure or specialised schemas. DNS-AID’s advantage lies in its use of the internet’s existing naming fabric, though that also means it inherits DNS’s complexity, governance debates and security limitations.

Enterprise adoption will depend on whether vendors and developers see DNS-based discovery as practical for real deployments. Large organisations already rely on DNS for service discovery, traffic routing and security policy enforcement, but AI agents introduce faster-changing metadata, fine-grained capability descriptions and policy questions around who may discover or invoke a given agent. Public discovery may suit some use cases, while regulated sectors may prefer internal namespaces and restricted visibility.