Executive Summary
This report highlights a significant shift in business strategy, moving from questioning the adoption of AI to focusing on scaling proven use cases and building sophisticated AI agents. The 'agentic era' is here, where AI agents can independently execute tasks under human guidance. Early adopters are already realizing substantial returns, improving customer experiences, boosting employee productivity, and driving departmental efficiency. This research provides insights into the strategies of successful early adopters to help organizations achieve tangible business results with agentic AI.
Key Statistic: 88% of agentic AI early adopters report seeing a positive ROI on generative AI.
Key Insights
- AI Agents at Scale: 52% of executives report their organizations using Gen AI also leverage AI agents in production.
- Early Adopter Advantage: 88% of agentic AI early adopters see ROI on at least one Gen AI use case.
- Broad ROI: 74% of executives see ROI on at least one Gen AI use case.
- Executive Backing: 78% of executives with C-level sponsorship report seeing ROI now.
- Top Consideration: Data privacy and security is the number one consideration for companies evaluating LLM providers.
Five Proven Areas of ROI
Generative AI is delivering measurable impact across several key business functions:
- Productivity: Improving employee efficiency and streamlining IT and non-IT processes.
- Customer Experience: Enhancing user engagement, satisfaction, and support.
- Business Growth: Driving revenue increases through optimized operations and market strategies.
- Marketing: Creating more effective campaigns, generating leads, and increasing conversions.
- Security: Strengthening threat detection, response, and overall security posture.
Investment Trends and Challenges
Investment in AI agents is growing, with a significant portion of AI budgets allocated to their deployment. C-suite sponsorship remains critical for successful adoption and ROI realization. However, challenges persist, particularly concerning data privacy, security, and system integration, which are top considerations for LLM providers.
Your Blueprint for AI Agent ROI
Organizations looking to maximize AI agent ROI should:
- Secure executive champions and C-suite sponsorship.
- Build a compelling business case to justify AI investments.
- Establish clear enterprise-wide guidelines for AI use, data security, and compliance.
- Focus on automating repeatable tasks for clear, immediate ROI.
- Prioritize data governance, enterprise security, and maintain a human-in-the-loop approach.
- Provide AI agents with necessary tools and secure access to enterprise systems.
- Invest in talent development and internal AI education programs.
