Qlik®, a global leader in data integration, analytics, and AI, today released its 2025 Agentic AI Study, commissioned from Enterprise Technology Research (ETR). The report examines how large enterprises are planning, funding, and operationalizing Agentic AI, revealing a mix of ambition, investment, and execution gaps.
Big Budgets, Long Timelines
Nearly all respondents have committed budgets to Agentic AI, with 39% planning to spend $1 million or more, and 34% allocating 10–25% of their AI budgets. Yet, while spending signals strong intent, only 18% have fully deployed Agentic AI, and 46% anticipate scale will take three to five years.
“Enterprises are not short on ambition or funding. What’s missing are the data and analytics foundations that let agents work reliably across the business,” said James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik. “If you want Agentic AI to move the needle in 2026, invest first in trusted pipelines, interoperability, and a practical ROI framework your board believes.”
Where Enterprises Struggle
The study highlights several key execution gaps:
- Data Quality & Integration: Data availability, quality, and access top the list of barriers, followed by integration challenges, talent gaps, and governance constraints. Enterprise “plumbing” is the bottleneck, not model horsepower.
- Governance & ROI: While 69% report a formal AI strategy (up from 37% in 2024), only 19% have defined an ROI framework, leaving boards without clear measurement of outcomes.
- Risk & Compliance: Cybersecurity, output reliability, and legal exposure are primary concerns, with explainability and auditability following closely. Risk teams will influence deployment pace and vendor selection.
Early Adopters and Pragmatic Wins
Initial Agentic AI deployments are focused on IT operations and software development, where telemetry and baselines exist. Cost reduction is the top goal, with productivity improvements the key metric. The study indicates that practical, measurable early wins will set the stage for broader adoption over the next few years.
“Our data shows broad intent, but only a minority are ready to scale. The next year will be about turning tightly scoped use cases in IT ops and software engineering into durable, measured production,” said Erik Bradley, Chief Strategist at ETR.
Implications for 2026 and Beyond
With Agentic AI now a line-item in enterprise budgets, 2026 is expected to be a “build phase” rather than a full-scale rollout. Organizations that invest in trusted data pipelines, governance, and integration today will be positioned to move from pilots to run-rate operations tomorrow.
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