IBM's latest study reveals that enterprises are rapidly adopting agentic AI, with expectations for AI-enabled workflows to grow from 3% to 25% by the end of 2025.
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| A new IBM report finds that businesses worldwide are shifting from AI experimentation to full-scale deployment, with agentic AI leading the transformation. Image: IBM/ CH |
Armonk, USA – June 11, 2025:
Businesses worldwide are accelerating their adoption of agentic AI technologies, transitioning from experimentation to full-scale deployment, according to a new study by the IBM Institute for Business Value. The AI Projects to Profits report, which surveyed 2,900 global executives, indicates that AI-enabled workflows are expected to increase from 3% today to 25% by the end of 2025. Seventy percent of respondents identified agentic AI as critical to their organization's future, underscoring its growing importance in enterprise strategy.
Francesco Brenna, VP & Senior Partner of AI Integration Services at IBM Consulting, emphasized that businesses are no longer merely integrating agents into existing processes but are re-architecting workflows to fully leverage agentic AI's capabilities. This approach involves redesigning user experiences, orchestrating agents across functions, and integrating contextual data to enhance decision-making and automation.
The study highlights several key benefits driving the adoption of agentic AI, including improved decision-making, cost reduction through automation, gaining a competitive advantage, enhancing employee experience, and improved talent retention. Despite these advantages, challenges remain. Concerns about data security, trust issues, and skills shortages continue to hinder broader adoption.
Further findings from the study reveal that AI investments now account for 12% of IT budgets, with projections to increase to 20% by 2026. Additionally, 64% of AI budgets are allocated to core business functions, reflecting AI's central role in strategic operations. The proportion of organizations employing an ad hoc approach to AI has decreased from 19% last year to just 6%, indicating a shift towards more structured and strategic AI initiatives.
IBM's own experiences illustrate the impact of agentic AI. The company has automated over a million tasks in its HR operations, resolving 95% of employee service requests without escalation. In procurement, agentic workflows have reduced processing times by up to 70%.
To facilitate broader adoption, IBM has introduced the watsonx Orchestrate platform, enabling businesses to build AI agents in less than five minutes. The platform includes over 150 prebuilt agents and integrates with more than 80 enterprise applications, allowing for seamless orchestration across complex workflows. IBM's partnerships with Oracle, AWS, and Salesforce further extend the reach of agentic AI, integrating these capabilities into existing enterprise systems.
As businesses continue to integrate agentic AI into their operations, the technology is poised to redefine how work is performed, driving efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage across industries.