Jul 2, 2025
This meeting addressed the challenges organizations face in setting up passwordless authentication within IAM/CIAM environments, focusing on a prototype leveraging AI for intelligence augmentation. Attendees discussed the critical gaps, the proposed AI-assisted solution (PassKeyPilot AI), key features, technology stack, and the value proposition. The session concluded with future enhancement ideas and clarification of next steps for deepening the prototype’s exploration.
Current Landscape: Hey there! You know how passwordless stuff like passkeys and biometrics is getting super popular? It's awesome for security and way easier for folks to use. But, getting it all set up in those big Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) systems? That's where things can get a bit tricky.
Critical Gap: So, what's the big headache? It's really about how complicated and messy the setup process can be for companies. Here's why it's a pain:
No clear roadmap: Companies often scratch their heads trying to figure out what they need, how to technically set things up, and the best ways to get passkeys/biometrics working across all their apps and identity systems.
Things don't play nice: Getting different devices, browsers, and identity standards (like FIDO2 and WebAuthn) to work smoothly together? That can feel like herding cats!
Policy puzzles: Deciding exactly when to ask for a passkey or what to do if it doesn't work can be surprisingly hard and needs a real expert touch.
Fixing things is a chore: When something goes wrong during setup or when users try to sign up, figuring out what happened and fixing it usually takes a lot of manual effort and time.
Customer Pain Points: All this means:
It takes way longer to actually start using passwordless tech.
IT and security teams end up with a lot more work on their plates.
Users might get frustrated when they first try to sign up or switch devices.
And sometimes, mistakes in the setup can even open up security holes.
Proposed Solution: Our idea? An AI-powered prototype that makes setting up passwordless authentication in IAM/CIAM environments a breeze, guiding organizations every step of the way!
Core Idea: Imagine a cool web platform that's like your super smart assistant! It'll walk administrators through the whole journey of setting up passwordless authentication, from the very first plan to getting it live and keeping it running smoothly.
Intelligence Augmentation Focus: Now, the AI isn't going to do everything automatically. Instead, it's going to be there to give you smart suggestions, tell you what's happening in real-time, and offer helpful advice based on your situation. It's all about helping human administrators make awesome decisions and get things done efficiently!
3.1. Intelligent Setup Assistant (AI-Powered Guidance)
Smart Configuration Tips:
The AI will take a good look at your company's current identity setup (like your identity provider, apps, user lists, and any rules you need to follow).
Then, it'll suggest the best ways to get passkeys/biometrics integrated (like whether to use FIDO2 attestation or assertion, or if platform authenticators or roaming ones are better).
It'll even recommend specific settings for popular identity providers (like Okta, Azure AD, Auth0, you name it!) and different kinds of apps (web, mobile – easy peasy!).
Policy Creation & Tweaking:
The AI will lend a hand in writing those authentication policies, making sure they follow all the security best practices, meet any compliance rules (like NIST or ISO 27001), and still give users a great experience.
It'll suggest backup plans for multi-factor authentication (MFA) and how users can get back in if they forget something.
Plus, it'll spot any policy clashes or things that aren't working as efficiently as they could be.
"What You Need" Checklist & Fixes:
It'll automatically spot anything you're missing (like API keys, certificate settings, or network access).
And don't worry, it'll give you clear, step-by-step instructions or links to documents to help you sort it out!
3.2. Real-time Configuration Validation & Diagnostics
Try Before You Buy (Simulation!):
The AI can actually show you how your proposed settings will affect users and the system before you even put them live. How cool is that?!
It'll point out any potential snags (like if a device isn't compatible, or a browser won't work, or if there's a policy conflict).
Live Setup Watcher:
Once your passwordless setup is live, it'll keep an eye on it in real-time.
It'll catch any wrong settings, slow performance, or weird security stuff.
And it'll give you clear alerts and tell you exactly what went wrong so you can fix it fast.
Troubleshooting Helper:
If a problem pops up (like a user can't register a passkey), the AI will dig through logs and error messages.
It'll then suggest what to check and how to fix things, guiding administrators through the whole process. Super helpful!
3.3. Knowledge Base & Learning System
Smart Docs:
It'll whip up custom setup guides and documents just for your company's unique environment and the settings you've picked.
And it'll keep those documents fresh and updated as your setup changes.
Best Practice Hub:
The AI will constantly learn from successful setups and common mistakes made by other organizations (all anonymous, of course!).
It'll give you access to a treasure trove of passwordless authentication best practices, design patterns, and common solutions.
Ask Me Anything (Q&A):
Frontend: We're thinking React for a really slick, interactive user interface, and Tailwind CSS to make it look awesome.
Backend: Probably Python (with Flask/Django) or Node.js (with Express).
AI/ML:
We'll use Natural Language Processing (NLP) so the AI can understand what admins are asking and help create policies.
Rule-based and expert systems will help with those smart configuration suggestions.
Machine Learning will be key for spotting weird things, predicting future issues, and learning from all the deployment data.
And we'll hook it up with a big language model (LLM) for all that helpful guidance and Q&A (like using the Gemini API!).
Database: PostgreSQL or MongoDB should work great for storing all the company settings, historical info, and AI models.
Integration: We'll use standard RESTful APIs to connect with all the existing IAM/CIAM solutions out there (Okta, Azure AD, Auth0, Ping Identity, etc.) and other app development platforms.
For Organizations:
Faster Setup: Seriously cuts down the time and effort needed to get passwordless authentication up and running.
Fewer Mistakes: Helps avoid wrong settings and security risks with smart checks.
Lower Costs: Makes troubleshooting easier and lets administrators help themselves, saving money.
Better Security: Makes sure you're following the best practices and have super strong security settings.
Happier Users: Leads to smoother sign-ups and authentication for everyone!
For Administrators:
Empowerment: Gives them expert advice, making even tough tasks feel manageable, even for those who aren't super experienced.
Efficiency: Streamlines their work and cuts down on manual tasks.
Learning: It's like having a built-in tutor, helping admins really get a handle on passwordless tech.
Auto-Fix It!: Beyond just suggesting fixes, the AI could, with your approval, even apply some of those fixes automatically.
Predictive Maintenance: It could even guess potential problems before they affect users. How cool is that?!
Compliance Reports: Automatically generate reports to show you're meeting all those security standards.
Dev Tool Integration: Offer tools and plugins so developers can easily add passwordless features to their apps.