A new survey reveals that 2025 is set to be a pivotal year for agentic AI, with widespread adoption, significant ROI, and a global shift in organisational trust—despite cautious concerns among CFOs.
The year 2025 is being hailed as a pivotal moment for agentic AI, marking a significant evolution beyond the generative AI applications that have shaped recent advancements. According to a comprehensive survey conducted by Google Cloud and the National Research Group, over half (52%) of 3,466 senior corporate leaders at companies already leveraging generative AI have also begun deploying AI agents. These agents are defined as specialised large language models that exhibit autonomous capabilities in planning, reasoning, and task execution, often operating with minimal human oversight and the ability to collaborate with other AI agents.
The survey reveals an accelerating scale of adoption, with 39% of respondents reporting that their organisations have launched more than ten AI agents. Among early adopters—those dedicating at least half of their future AI budgets to these agents—this figure rises dramatically to 82%. These agentic AI systems cover a broad spectrum of applications, from straightforward chatbots to sophisticated multi-agent configurations managing intricate workflows across various business functions.
Geographically, the adoption of agentic AI varies. The Japan/Pacific region leads with a 64% uptake, followed by North America at 46%. Usage priorities differ by region: Europe focuses heavily on tech support, Japan/Pacific on customer service, and Latin America places emphasis on marketing. Globally, customer service is the most prevalent function using AI agents (49%), with marketing, cybersecurity, and tech support also featuring prominently. Interestingly, adoption rates are relatively uniform across industries and company sizes, suggesting a broad-based recognition of the technology’s potential.
Financially, the move to agentic AI is already demonstrating returns. Early adopters report that 88% have experienced positive ROI on at least one generative AI use case, compared with 74% across the wider group. Google Cloud highlights that organisations with leadership actively championing AI deployment, securing dedicated budgets, and supporting multiple AI agents are reaping more consistent and substantial benefits, including improvements in customer experience, business growth, security, and marketing effectiveness.
This surge in agentic AI interest coincides with increasing excitement among finance executives about the technology’s transformative potential. A separate survey from PYMNTS Intelligence indicated that by mid-2025, over 10% of U.S. firms with revenues exceeding $1 billion had begun using or testing agentic AI, with growing numbers of CFOs preparing to adopt it in 2026. Meanwhile, a Salesforce report details a striking shift in sentiment among Asia Pacific CFOs, where 75% now believe AI agents will drive revenue growth and fundamentally reshape organisational structures—a dramatic change from just five years ago when the majority were more cautious.
However, as enthusiasm builds, so too does caution. Data from the Financial Executives Research Foundation shows that 38% of CFOs remain undecided about balancing the costs of AI adoption against operational risks. This reflects the ongoing challenge CFOs face in evaluating emerging technologies amid conflicting priorities, including risk assessment, data governance, and maintaining efficient organisational culture.
Despite these concerns, the consensus among leading CFOs is clear: investment in AI is rising sharply. Findings from a PwC survey reveal that 88% of CFOs plan to increase their AI budgets in the coming year, recognising that agentic AI is critical to enhancing productivity and maintaining competitive edge.
In summary, agentic AI is rapidly transitioning from experimental to essential in the corporate landscape, supported by demonstrated financial gains and widespread acceptance across industries and regions. Yet, navigating its adoption remains complex, requiring balanced leadership focus to realise its full transformative potential. The coming years will likely see further deep integration of these autonomous systems, reshaping workflows, customer engagement, and broader business strategies on a global scale.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Subscribe to Industry Updates
