Agentic AI Adoption Triples as Businesses Embrace Rapid Deployment

Agentic AI Soars in Popularity — But What Does It Mean for the Business Landscape?

As companies race to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem, one type of artificial intelligence (AI) is making significant waves: agentic AI. According to a recent report by KPMG, deployments of agentic AI have more than tripled over the past year, even amid rising concerns over trust, governance, and risk.

So why are so many companies accelerating their adoption of this cutting-edge technology, and what implications does it hold for the future of enterprise operations?

In this blog post, we’ll explore the rise of agentic AI, key findings from the KPMG study, and what CFOs and business leaders need to consider when integrating agentic AI into their operational strategy.

What Is Agentic AI?

Agentic AI refers to AI systems capable of taking autonomous actions to achieve defined goals. Unlike traditional AI tools that require constant human intervention, agentic AI has the capability to make decisions, act independently, and even prioritize resources within parameters set by human operators.

Put simply, these systems behave more like digital agents rather than static software tools.

Key traits of agentic AI include:

• Autonomy: The ability to operate without continuous human input
• Goal-Oriented Behavior: Executes tasks to achieve outcomes
• Adaptive Learning: Learns and improves from interaction or changing environments
• Decision-Making Capabilities: Processes information to initiate actions

Examples range from intelligent customer service chatbots that handle entire user journeys to supply chain systems that autonomously manage inventories and logistics.

KPMG’s Key Findings: Agentic AI Deployment Triples

In its latest Global Tech Report, KPMG revealed that agentic AI has become a cornerstone in many companies’ digital transformation projects. The firm stated that:

• 66% of companies surveyed have already begun implementing agentic AI or plan to do so within the next year.
• This figure represents a threefold increase compared to just 12 months prior.
• 57% of executives say agentic AI is critical to achieving their strategic goals.

This surge in deployment signifies strong business confidence in the transformative potential of agentic AI, especially in areas like:

• Operational efficiency
• Customer experience management
• Data-driven decision making

Why the Sudden Surge in Agentic AI Adoption?

The dramatic rise in adoption is attributed to several converging factors:

1. Competitive Pressure and Efficiency Goals

Modern enterprises are under intense pressure to innovate, cut costs, and improve responsiveness. Agentic AI presents an opportunity to automate complex tasks and drive outcomes without always involving humans.

2. Advancements in AI Infrastructure

With major cloud providers and AI platforms refining infrastructure, deploying agentic AI is easier and more cost-effective than ever before.

3. Demand for Real-Time Decision-Making

Markets move fast, and companies are opting for AI systems that can adapt on-the-fly — whether they’re routing customer service tickets or optimizing supply chain flows.

4. Emergence of GenAI-Enabling Tools

Large Language Models (like GPT-4) and next-gen AI APIs have significantly broadened use cases for agentic AI, making formerly theoretical applications now commercially viable.

Risks and Challenges: Is the Speed of Adoption Outpacing Risk Management?

With the promise of efficiency and scalability comes a cautionary tale. While agentic AI adoption has ballooned, the report notes that:

• Only 6% of organizations rate their AI governance as “mature.”
• Over 75% of executives cite “trust concerns” as a primary barrier to full adoption.

Major areas of concern include:

• Lack of transparency in how agentic AI makes decisions
• Ethical compliance and bias detection
• Data privacy and regulatory inconsistencies
• Accountability: Who is responsible when AI agents make a mistake?

As AI becomes more autonomous, ensuring guardrails are in place becomes more crucial — a challenge that many CFOs are struggling to meet.

Implications for CFOs and Business Leaders

For finance leaders, agentic AI introduces both opportunity and complexity. As CFOs are often responsible for risk management, technology adoption, and budget allocation, they must tread carefully while supporting innovation.

Here’s how CFOs can strategically approach agentic AI adoption:

1. Implement Robust Governance Frameworks

Before scaling agentic AI, it’s essential to establish organizational policies for usage, monitoring, and escalation protocols. These may include:

• Transparency reporting
• Audit trails of decision-making paths
• Regular compliance reviews

2. Drive Cross-Functional AI Literacy

Executives outside of IT — including finance, HR, and operations — need to understand the capabilities and limitations of agentic AI. Training programs and internal think tanks can accelerate deep adoption while avoiding operational blind spots.

3. Synchronize Cost-Benefit Analysis with Risk Tolerance

While the ROI of agentic AI can be substantial, CFOs must balance it against:

• Reputational risks from AI missteps
• Compliance costs from emerging regulations
• Operational readiness and change management difficulties

4. Align with Strategic Business Objectives

Not all departments require agentic AI, and not all processes benefit equally. CFOs can play a crucial role in prioritizing deployments by targeting areas with the highest impact potential — such as forecasting, automation of repetitive tasks, and anomaly detection in financial reporting.

The Road Ahead: Balancing Innovation with Responsibility

Agentic AI is not going away — it’s an increasingly central asset for companies seeking to stay agile, customer-focused, and profitable in a digital-first landscape.

KPMG’s findings indicate that business leaders see tremendous potential in this technology, yet few have mature frameworks in place to monitor and control its use. For agentic AI adoption to deliver long-term value, it must be accompanied by a strong investment in governance, ethics, and collaboration across functions.

Final Thoughts

Agentic AI isn’t just the next AI buzzword — it’s a transformational shift in how technology supports decision-making and operations. The fact that adoption has tripled in a single year speaks to its potential, but also to the urgent need for responsible AI practices.

As CFOs and executive teams forge ahead with deployments, success will belong to those who can effectively balance innovation with governance — creating smarter, not just faster, organizations.

Is your organization ready to harness the power of agentic AI responsibly?

Let us know in the comments or reach out to our team to discuss how your business can make the most of this emerging AI paradigm.