Workday has entered a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai, an identity platform that manages and secures access for employees and AI agents across business applications, including finance systems and cloud infrastructure. The announcement was made at Workday Rising 2026 in Las Vegas.
The acquisition aims to address security risks and management challenges as businesses deploy more AI agents. Workday plans to automate and enforce access rights throughout an employee’s lifecycle, from onboarding through role changes and departure.
The deal would position Workday as an identity governance layer for both human employees and AI agents, with the goal of improving security and operational efficiency for customers. Financial terms were not disclosed.