Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are no longer just a glimpse of the future — they’re already reshaping operations inside U.S. companies.
From automating tasks to improving decision-making, these intelligent systems are beginning to deliver tangible business results. But despite rising adoption and investment, most organizations have yet to fully embrace the deeper strategic changes required to unlock the agentic technology’s full value.
According to a survey released July 9 by PwC, 88% of senior executives said their companies plan to increase AI-related budgets over the next 12 months, largely fueled by excitement around agentic AI. Nearly four in five (79%) say their organizations are already using AI agents. And two-thirds (66%) of adopters report measurable business value, especially in productivity gains. Yet the survey also reveals a gap between early success and long-term transformation.
“Many companies are still treating AI agents as bolt-ons to existing workflows,” said Scott Likens, innovation and trust technology leader at PwC. “To capture the real value, businesses need to think much bigger — reimagining how work gets done from the ground up.”
Incorporating AI agents into workflows
PwC conducted the survey in April based on responses from 308 senior U.S. business leaders across industries. It shows that companies are starting to move beyond pilot projects, but progress remains uneven.
While 35% report broad deployment of AI agents and 17% say they’ve reached near-total adoption, 68% acknowledge that fewer than half of their employees use AI agents regularly. Most deployments remain focused on basic use cases, such as automated data entry, record-keeping, and generating simple insights — useful, but far from revolutionary.
“Companies are starting to see returns, particularly in internal use cases,” Likens noted. “But the bolder moves — integrating multi-agent systems across functions like R&D, finance, or customer service — are still rare.”
One promising frontier is multi-agent AI systems, where coordinated groups of agents work together to tackle more complex, cross-functional processes. PwC highlighted an unnamed hospitality company already deploying such systems, allowing employees and customers to engage with teams of AI agents that improve service delivery and reduce operational costs.
“This is a glimpse into the future,” Likens said. “Systems where agents work together — across departments, platforms, and vendors — are beginning to deliver real, scalable outcomes.”
Challenges to implementing agentic AI
While technical capabilities are advancing, cultural and organizational readiness remain serious bottlenecks. The top challenges cited by respondents were cybersecurity and cost. But PwC researchers say the real barriers are often human.
Only 14% of respondents cited employee adoption as a top concern, and just 17% pointed to the need for organizational change—yet these issues may ultimately determine success or failure.
“The problem isn’t the technology — it’s mindsets,” Likens said. “Leaders need to bring employees into the process, redesign roles, and show how AI agents can empower — not replace — them.”
Despite concerns, there’s cautious optimism about workforce impact: 67% of executives expect AI agents to significantly transform roles in the next year, and 48% believe the headcount will actually increase as a result.
Still, trust is limited. While 38% say they trust AI agents with data analysis and 35% with performance improvement, just 20% would trust agents with financial transactions and 22% with employee-related decisions.
“A responsible AI framework isn’t optional,” said Likens. “Embedding transparency, governance, and human oversight into these systems is essential.”
PwC’s findings reveal that most companies are still early in the transformation journey. Only 45% are actively rethinking their operating models in light of AI agents, 42% are redesigning workflows, and 44% are developing new agent-enabled products or services.
Yet many executives expect dramatic change in the near future. Half predict their business models will be “unrecognizable” within two years due to agentic AI, and 75% believe AI agents will have a larger impact on the workplace than the internet.
“The companies that win won’t just use AI agents. They’ll build around them,” said Likens. “This isn’t about tech deployment; it’s about reinvention.”
PwC’s message is clear: Businesses that want to lead in the AI agent era must move fast and think boldly. That means going beyond pilots, integrating agents across functions and systems, investing in talent, and building frameworks for trust and accountability.
“Playing it safe is the riskiest move you can make right now,” Likens said. PwC surveyed 308 U.S. business leaders between April 22 and April 28. Respondents represented a cross-section of industries and included C-suite executives (33%), vice presidents (13%), and directors (54%).
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