Agentic AI is set to deliver up to $450 billion in global economic value by 2028, according to a new report from the Capgemini Research Institute.

However, despite this strong momentum, the Institute’s research suggests that only two per cent of organisations have fully scaled the technology, with trust in AI agents declining.

The global study, which surveyed 1,500 executives across 14 countries at organisations with more than $1 billion in annual revenue, found that almost a quarter have launched pilots, while 14 per cent have begun implementation.

The majority remain in the planning stages, despite as many as 93 per cent saying that scaling AI agents over the next 12 months will provide a competitive edge.

The figures also suggest that confidence in fully autonomous AI agents has dropped from 43 per cent to 27 per cent in the past 12 months amidst privacy and ethical concerns.

But the report suggests that as organisations move from exploration to implementation, trust in AI agents grows. For organisations in the implementation phase, 47 per cent have an above average level of trust, compared to 37 per cent in the exploratory phase.

Additionally, the majority of companies are realising that AI agents deliver the greatest impact when humans remain actively involved.

Nearly three-quarters of executives say the benefits of human oversight outweigh the costs, and 90 per cent view human involvement in AI-driven workflows as either positive or cost-neutral.

“The economic potential of AI agents is significant but realising this value depends on more than just the technology, it requires a comprehensive and strategic transformation across people, processes and systems,” said Franck Greverie, chief portfolio & technology officer, head of global business lines, and group executive board member at Capgemini. “To succeed, organisations must remain focused on outcomes, reimagining their processes with an AI-first mindset.

"Central to this transformation is the need to build trust in AI by ensuring it is developed responsibly, with ethics and safety baked in from the outset. It also means reshaping organisations to support effective human-AI chemistry, creating the right conditions for these systems to enhance human judgment and help deliver superior business outcomes.”

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