By the numbers: The survey of nearly 900 global business leaders reveals a rapid pace of adoption.

An additional 27% of organizations plan to integrate agentic AI systems within the next six months, on top of the 23% who are already in the final stages of doing so.
While most prefer semi-autonomous agents, nearly 20% are using or plan to use fully autonomous agents within the next year.
Only 5% of organizations are targeting a longer-term, 3-to-5-year implementation horizon.

The big picture: A company's current AI maturity level is a strong indicator of its adoption strategy.

Organizations in the most advanced stages of AI adoption are leading the charge, with 77% already using or expecting to use AI agents for repetitive tasks.
Companies in the early stages of their AI journey are more exploratory, with about a third targeting integration within 12 months.

Between the lines: A notable perception gap exists between the C-suite and employees closer to day-to-day operations.

Among board and C-suite executives, 31% foresee integrating fully autonomous agents.
However, only 17% of mid-level and operational staff expect full autonomy, suggesting that those closer to implementation challenges and operational risks are more cautious.

What they're saying: "Senior leaders see agentic AI as a catalyst for scale, speed, and competitive advantage," said Patrick Anderson, a Managing Director in Protiviti's AI practice. "The opportunity is clear — the real work lies in closing the readiness gap to turn ambition into capability."

SURVEY: AI Agent Adoption Accelerating, But Execs and Staff Disagree on Autonomy

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