Google Cloud launches Agent Compute Engine for AI agents
MarkTechPost: Google Cloud Launches Agent Compute Engine: A MicroVM per AI Agent
Google Cloud has announced Agent Compute Engine, a compute service built specifically for AI agents. Google Agent Compute Engine gives each agent its own hardware-isolated microVM. The sandbox holds zero credentials. The service already powers Gemini as an agent for work tasks. Google unveiled it this week at AGNTCon + MCPCon. Customer preview is targeted for the coming months. The pitch: VM-grade isolation with container-like speed and density. TL;DR Unit: One hardware-isolated microVM
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Google Cloud has launched Agent Compute Engine, a service that runs each AI agent in its own isolated microVM, or lightweight virtual machine, with no stored credentials inside. The service matters because it addresses security and efficiency concerns: agents running in isolated environments cannot access sensitive credentials even if compromised by prompt injection, and idle agents are automatically paused to zero resource consumption then resumed from snapshots, reducing costs. The approach splits agents into two parts, a "brain" that calls the AI model running outside the sandbox, and "hands" that execute code and commands inside it, with all communication passing through a secure gateway that injects credentials only when needed. Google is expanding this technology across its cloud products and governance stack, with an open-source Kubernetes version already available and the proprietary service entering customer preview in the coming months.
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