investment, AI Survey

AI agents are ready to reshape business operations across various industries, but not just yet.

Enterprises are taking a cautious approach toward their adoption, as they weigh trust, security and performance of the emerging technology.

“Our report uncovers the nuanced landscape of agentic AI and the enterprise, highlighting both the enthusiasm for its transformative potential and the caution that enterprises are exercising in its implementation,” Michael Cardamone, chief executive and managing partner at Forum Ventures, said in a statement. “The real challenge is understanding the specific opportunities for AI agents in the enterprise and finding the right edge.”

The report, “2024: The Rise of Agentic AI in the Enterprise,” shows a disparity in readiness for AI adoption. Just 29% of enterprise leadership teams have a near-term vision (one to three years) to achieve enterprise-wide AI use, defined as AI being a critical part of at least five core functions. However, a larger portion, 46%, anticipates achieving this level of adoption in three or more years.

The seemingly contradictory sentiments of the survey, in while Forum Ventures polled 100 senior IT leaders, illustrates widespread acknowledgment of the technology’s potential, coupled with a preference for a more mature solution before full-scale deployment, Cardamone said.
For now, nearly half (46%) of the enterprises surveyed have started to adopt AI agents, with an additional 29% actively exploring solutions. But when deciding on AI solutions, 63% of executives report taking a hybrid approach that combines in-house AI models with third-party solutions so they can retain control and leverage external innovation.
The good news for providers of AI agents, such as Salesforce Inc., OpenAI and Google, is that 51% of decision makers are open to the idea, especially when those providers offer innovative, tailored solutions quickly and with agility — something that incumbent vendors cannot match.
Yet trust remains a sticking point for many: Widespread use of AI agents comes down to transparency, reliability and a strong commitment to data privacy and security, Forum Ventures found. [At the same time, only 2% of boards consider themselves highly knowledgeable about AI, and nearly half report that AI isn’t even on their agenda, a recent Deloitte survey revealed.]
“The trust gap is enormous. While AI agents can perform tasks with remarkable efficiency, their outputs are based on statistical probabilities rather than inherent truths,” Jonah Midanik, general partner and chief operating officer at Forum Ventures, said in an interview. “This makes it crucial for startups to build systems that are not only accurate but also transparent and reliable. There is both risk aversion among many people at an enterprise yet a mandate from the C-suite. Plus, there is the cost of the solution (3x to 10x) and an expectation for things to turn on a dime.”
He expects agentic AI to pick up steam in 2025 via adoption of Salesforce and Microsoft solutions.
Midanik advises founders to demonstrate defensibility, use synthetic data to prove potential, and showcase the solution’s ability to scale across the organization quickly.

TECHSTRONG TV

Click full-screen to enable volume control
Watch latest episodes and shows

Tech Field Day Extra at Cisco Live EMEA

TECHSTRONG AI PODCAST

SHARE THIS STORY