Gartner: AI agents adoption hindered by governance and security concerns

#IT leaders are wary of autonomous AI agents, preferring to keep some level of human oversight, according to Gartner research published Tuesday. The analyst firm surveyed 360 IT application leaders from organizations with at least 250 full-time employees. Just 15% of IT application leaders are currently piloting, deploying or considering fully autonomous AI agents that do not require human oversight, Gartner found. A much larger percentage — 75% — are piloting or deploying some form of AI agents. Less than 20% of respondents believe their vendor could provide adequate protection against hallucinations, and only 13% believe their organization has the right governance in place to manage AI agents. Security concerns are also prevalent, with nearly three-quarters of leaders seeing AI agents as a new attack vector in their organization. 

We’re standing at the edge of a profound shift in how businesses operate. The next wave of AI isn’t just about generating content or answering questions—it’s about autonomous, goal-driven agents that think, plan, and act. Unlike traditional AI tools that wait for prompts, Agentic AI agents will execute multi-step tasks, collaborate across systems, and adapt in real time. This evolution will move us from reactive automation to proactive orchestration. What Does This Mean for Businesses of All Sizes? 1. Hyper-Automated Operations Imagine supply chains that self-optimize, marketing campaigns that launch and iterate without human intervention, and finance systems that reconcile and forecast autonomously. These agents won’t just assist—they’ll own entire workflows. 2. Multi-Agent Networks The future isn’t one super-agent; it’s networks of specialized agents working together. Think of digital ecosystems where procurement agents talk to logistics agents, which coordinate with customer experience agents—all without manual handoffs. 3. Verticalized AI Agents Just as SaaS transformed industries, expect industry-specific AI agents to dominate. Healthcare agents managing compliance and patient engagement, retail agents driving dynamic pricing and inventory, and cybersecurity agents neutralizing threats at 3 AM without waiting for a human analyst. 4. Digital Proxies for Humans Agents will start handling parts of our digital lives—managing calendars, negotiating vendor contracts, even running micro-businesses. This isn’t science fiction; early frameworks are already paving the way. My Predictions for the Next 3–5 Years • SMBs will benefit first: With limited resources, small businesses will leverage AI agents to scale like enterprises—automating back-office tasks, customer engagement, and compliance. • Enterprise workflows will be rebuilt: Leaders will redesign processes from the ground up, embedding agents at the core rather than bolting them on. • Governance will become critical: As autonomy grows, so will the need for guardrails—ensuring transparency, security, and ethical decision-making. The winners in this new era won’t just adopt AI—they’ll reimagine work itself, blending human creativity with machine autonomy to unlock unprecedented agility and innovation. What’s the first workflow you’d hand to an AI agent—and why? Drop your answer in the comments. If you want a deeper dive tailored to your organization, message me and let’s compare notes on a practical 90-day roadmap. #AgenticAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AIInnovation #FutureOfWork #AIRevolution #DigitalTransformation #BusinessStrategy #Automation #EnterpriseAI #TechLeadership

“…IT leaders are wary of autonomous AI agents, preferring to keep some level of human oversight, according to Gartner research published Tuesday. The analyst firm surveyed 360 IT application leaders from organizations with at least 250 full-time employees. Just 15% of IT application leaders are currently piloting, deploying or considering fully autonomous AI agents that do not require human oversight, Gartner found. A much larger percentage — 75% — are piloting or deploying some form of AI agents. Less than 20% of respondents believe their vendor could provide adequate protection against hallucinations, and only 13% believe their organization has the right governance in place to manage AI agents. Security concerns are also prevalent, with nearly three-quarters of leaders seeing AI agents as a new attack vector in their organization…”

Only 15% of IT leaders are deploying fully autonomous AI agents, with trust, governance, and alignment cited as key barriers. Read the Latest Full News - https://lnkd.in/geuNXBhD #TechEdgeAI #TechEdge #AIinBusiness #AgenticAI #GenerativeAI #EnterpriseAI #AIAdoption #AIGovernance #DigitalTransformation #MarTech #AIProductivity #CIOInsights

Government 3.0 is all about the enhancement of the overall Citizen's experience through modernising systems and leveraging AI with people to improve efficiency, deliver better messaging and improved services! AI isn’t just about adoption—it’s about information readiness. Here’s how organizations can get it right: https://lnkd.in/gYMhPW8a

Check out my interview with Megan Poinski at Forbes, part of today's CIO newsletter, where we explore designing AI agents with governance in mind from the start: https://lnkd.in/eAA7rDbq   Accountability by design blends three critical areas: governance frameworks including responsible AI principles, technology guardrails like audit trails, and culture including people and change management. All are super important on the path to autonomy. Check out the full article!   #AgenticAI #AutonomousEnterprise #GenpactOnIt

IT leaders aren’t ready for AI autonomy: A lack of vendor trust and security concerns are leading enterprises to push off some forms of agentic AI, according to Gartner.  #CIODive #Innovation

AI adoption is accelerating—but success depends on more than enthusiasm. According to a recent survey, the organizations seeing the most value from AI are the ones with strong information foundations. By prioritizing governance, integration, and readiness, they’re turning potential into measurable outcomes. Read more in our latest blog: https://lnkd.in/e2v8UGzn

Success is elusive, as more enterprises report AI project failure this year compared to 2024. Businesses are predominantly adopting AI in IT operations, followed by customer experience workflows and marketing processes. https://lnkd.in/ge6XhE6R

Unpopular opinion … you envision and force innovation (eg AI) for your enterprise but spend control is increasingly a board demand and hence challenge for governance. At least that is what we learned from peers. Nearly half of IT budgets are static or shrinking from 2025 to 2026, yet 84% of CIOs surveyed say their enterprise will increase AI funding next year. And it’s not just intent: 97% have already deployed AI or will within three years. Meanwhile, 45% are pivoting off-cycle to expand AI and automation investments. What’s the flip side? Over half of CIOs (52%) say cost reduction will be a top-five outcome in 2026 and 2027. This means: CIOs must fund AI innovation and deliver cost optimization at the same time. That’s why cost governance isn’t optional. It’s the only way to scale AI responsibly, protect credibility with the board, and ensure that innovation doesn’t become a budget liability. Gartner assumes that by 2027, CIOs who fail to control GenAI spend will trigger board scrutiny and destabilize top talent because when GenAI eats the budget, it starves the business. You can read more in the following Gartner research: CIO Moves to Stop AI From Blowing the IT Budget https://lnkd.in/d_fKT_tN