Key Insights

  • About one-third of enterprises have enteredthe full deployment stage of agentic AI technology, a figure that has tripled after remaining at 11% for two consecutive quarters.
  • 57% of surveyed enterprises are piloting agents, down from 65% last quarter; 10% are exploring potential use cases, compared to 25% last quarter, KPMG (one of the Big Four accounting firms) found.
  • "The data shows AI agents are rapidly moving from pilots to production—and this momentum will only accelerate," said Steve Chase, KPMG's Vice Chair of AI and Digital Innovation, in a press release. "What makes this moment unique is that leaders increasingly view agents not just as a way to cut costs, but as a means to rethink growth and create new value."

Deeper Analysis

KPMG said the nascent technology still presents implementation challenges. According to the survey findings, key barriers to agent deployment include technical skill gaps, employee resistance to change, and system complexity.

Gartner predicts that by the end of 2027, more than40% of agentic AI projects will be canceleddue to rising costs, unclear business value, or insufficient risk controls.

"Most agentic AI projects today are early-stage experiments or proof-of-concepts, driven primarily by hype and often misapplied," said Anushree Verma, Senior Director Analyst at Gartner, in a press release on Wednesday. "This can cause organizations to overlook the true costs and complexities of deploying AI agents at scale, leaving projects stalled before reaching production. They need to cut through the hype and make prudent strategic decisions about how and where to apply this emerging technology."

Many vendors are also fueling the hype by engaging in 'agent washing'—repackaging existing products such as AI assistants, robotic process automation, and chatbots 'without substantive agentic capabilities,' the press release said.

Tech giants including Microsoft, Salesforce, Oracle, SAP, and Workdaybegan rolling out agents last year, promising to usher in the next phase of enterprise automation.

IncludingKPMGandDeloitteThe Big Four accounting firms have also quickly followed suit, offering their own agentic AI solutions to clients.

According to KPMG's findings, many enterprises currently using agentic AI are taking a balanced, strategic approach.

KPMG's report shows that nearly half of leaders (46%) say their AI agent strategy focuses on efficiency and revenue growth. Meanwhile, the report says leaders' concerns about data privacy, regulatory issues, and data quality have reached their highest levels in three quarters.

KPMG surveyed 130 U.S. business leaders, all from companies with annual revenues exceeding $1 billion.