A recent study by Pegasystems highlights the growing adoption of agentic AI in the workplace, revealing that 57% of workers are inclined to use AI agents and 58% are already incorporating them into their daily tasks.
Early adopters are experiencing significant benefits, with 41% citing automation of repetitive tasks as a top advantage, followed by reduced time spent searching for information (36%) and efficient meeting summarization (34%). However, the research also uncovered lingering doubts about the technology’s reliability and quality, presenting a challenge for broader acceptance.
“Organizations must meet employees where they are by integrating AI agents with actual workflows so they’re not just doing any work, but doing the right work. This, combined with proper governance, transparency, and educational opportunities, will be vital for maximizing productivity, increasing comfort with the technology, and ultimately achieving widespread adoption for a true return on investment,” said Don Schuerman, CTO, Pega.
What are the main concerns?
Some of the most frequent concerns regarding agentic AI are trust, emotional intelligence, and quality. As many as 33% worry about the quality of AI-generated work, while 32% cite a lack of human intuition and emotional intelligence. Additionally, 30% of respondents don’t trust the accuracy of AI-generated responses.
While many employees recognise the potential of AI to improve workflows, reservations about its capabilities and outputs prevent its full-scale adoption.
The study highlights the need for addressing these concerns, with 42% of workers identifying accuracy and reliability as the most critical areas for improvement in agentic AI. Other priorities include better training on how to use AI tools (39%) and greater transparency in AI decision-making processes (33%).
What does the future hold?
Despite the challenges, the outlook for agentic AI remains optimistic. Nearly half of the respondents (46%) believe AI will positively impact their jobs in the next five years, while only 13% foresee negative effects. To ensure widespread adoption, companies must design workflows that combine the strengths of AI and humans, improving transparency in AI operations, and offering robust training opportunities to employees.
The data suggests that agentic AI can improve productivity and streamline work processes, but it requires thoughtful orchestration and trust-building measures. By addressing employee concerns and demonstrating AI’s potential, organizations can unlock its full value while creating better work experiences.