IBM: IBM study – companies see AI agents as indispensable and not just experimental

A new study from the IBM (NYSE: IBM) Institute for Business Value shows that organizations will significantly scale AI-powered workflows, many of which are driven by agent-based AI, and rely on them for improved decision making and automation.

The AI Projects to Profits study, which surveyed 2,900 executives worldwide, found that respondents expect AI-powered workflows to grow from 3% today to 25% by the end of 2025. 70% of executives surveyed said that agent-based AI is important to the future of their organization. The study suggests that many companies are actively encouraging experimentation.

As the pace of digital transformation accelerates, companies may look to AI agents as the next evolutionary step in intelligent automation. 83% of respondents expect AI agents to improve process efficiency and performance by 2026, and 71% believe that agents will adapt autonomously to changing workflows.

“We are seeing more and more clients see agent-based AI as the key to helping them go beyond incremental productivity gains and actually realize business value from AI, especially when applied to their core processes such as supply chain and human resources,” said Francesco Brenna, VP & Senior Partner, AI Integration Services, IBM Consulting. “It’s not about plugging an agent into an existing process and hoping for the best. It means restructuring process execution, redesigning the user experience, end-to-end orchestration of agents and integrating the right data to provide context, memory and intelligence throughout.”

These are the top five benefits of agent-based AI systems driving adoption across all industries, according to the report:

1. Over two-thirds (69%) of executives surveyed say “improved decision making” is the biggest benefit of agent-based AI systems.
2. 67% of respondents cite “cost reduction through automation” as a benefit.
3. Almost half (47%) of the managers surveyed cited “competitive advantages” as the greatest benefit of agent-based AI systems.
4. 44% of the managers surveyed stated that employee experience is the most important benefit.
5. 42% of respondents said that “improved retention of talented employees” was another major benefit of implementing agent-based AI systems.

Although respondents cited benefits, there are still concerns among executives about implementing agent-based AI. Respondents indicate that concerns about data (49%), trust issues (46%) and skills shortages (42%) continue to be barriers to adoption in their organizations.

Other key findings include:

• Executives surveyed indicate that investment in AI will have grown to approximately 12% of IT spend by 2024. Participants expect this figure to increase by more than two-thirds by 2026, when it will account for 20% of IT spend.
• According to respondents, 64% of AI budgets are now being spent on core business functions, highlighting the transition of AI from an experimental phase to a key part of business strategy.
• The proportion of organizations surveyed relying on an ad hoc approach to AI has fallen from 19% last year to just 6% today, indicating increased confidence and commitment to AI-driven transformation.
• One in four organizations surveyed are already pursuing an “AI-first” approach
• Among those pursuing an “AI-first” approach, respondents say they attribute more than half of their revenue growth (52%) and operating margin improvements (54%) to AI initiatives in the last 12 months.

 
To read the full study, visit: https://www.ibm.com/thought-leadership/institute-business-value/en-us/report/agentic-ai-profits
 
Study methodology
The IBM Institute for Business Value study, conducted in partnership with Oxford Economics, draws on findings from two 2025 surveys: the “AI at the core survey” (2.500 executives from 18 industries and 19 regions) and the “Agentic AI pulse survey” (400 C-suite executives from 15 positions, 11 industries and 6 countries). The survey questions explored the current role of AI in business operations, including its impact on revenue, profitability, productivity and resource efficiency. Further analysis was conducted to identify key relationships, trends and associations within the data set.

The IBM Institute for Business Value, IBM’s thought leadership think tank, combines global research and performance data with the expertise of industry experts and leading academics to deliver insights that make business leaders smarter. Find more world-class thought leaders at: ibm.com/ibv.

About IBM  
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries harness insights from their data, optimize business processes, reduce costs and gain a competitive advantage in their industries. Thousands of government and enterprise organizations in critical infrastructure sectors such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to deliver their digital transformation quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM’s breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting provide our clients with open and flexible options. All of this is backed by IBM’s long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, accountability, inclusivity and service. For more information, visit www.ibm.com.

Media contact
Annette Hodapp
IBM Corporate Communications
Annette_Hodapp@de.ibm.com

Marisa Conway 
IBM Corporate Communications
conwaym@us.ibm.com

Kristen Shah 
IBM Consulting Communications 
Kristen.shah@Ibm.com

Further links

👉https://www.ibm.com/de-de

Image: IBM