A new survey from Collibra reveals overwhelming confidence in the business value of agentic AI among U.S. data and AI leaders. The study, conducted by The Harris Poll, found that while the vast majority of organizations are actively developing agentic AI systems, a significant gap exists in the formal governance policies needed to guide this rapid adoption responsibly.
Quick Intel
86% of data and AI leaders are confident agentic AI will deliver a strong return on investment.
91% of organizations are currently developing or rolling out agentic AI solutions.
The IT and software industry is seen as the clear leader in successful agentic AI implementation.
A governance gap exists, with fewer than half establishing formal AI policies or compliance training.
Most organizations (58%) rely on third-party partnerships for implementation rather than building internally.
Despite the gap, 83% are confident in the governance and reliability of the data used for their AI agents.
High Confidence Meets Widespread Adoption
The survey highlights a strong belief in the transformative potential of agentic AI. A significant 86% of decision-makers are confident it will drive adequate ROI, with similar levels of confidence in its capacity for innovation (85%) and governance (84%). This optimism is fueling action, with 91% of technology leaders confirming their organizations are in various stages of developing or deploying agentic AI. Stijn Christiaens, Chief Data Citizen of Collibra, emphasized the trend, stating, "Agentic AI is what's next across our industry, and I predict that my role will be absorbed by the Chief AI Officer by this time next year."
The Implementation and Governance Landscape
When it comes to execution, the survey identifies the IT and software sector as the pacesetter, with 75% of decision-makers naming it the industry leading the charge. This aligns with external predictions from Gartner, which forecasts that 33% of enterprise software applications will soon include agentic AI. In terms of method, most organizations are choosing to partner rather than build from scratch, with 58% relying on third-party technology and 44% using mergers and acquisitions.
A Critical Gap in AI Governance
A key finding of the survey is a concerning lag in formal governance frameworks. Despite the rapid adoption, fewer than half of organizations are establishing formal AI governance policies (48%) or providing related compliance training to employees (47%). This presents a potential risk as AI systems scale. However, many organizations are prioritizing risk mitigation, with 60% monitoring AI systems for bias and fairness, and 52% conducting regular AI risk assessments. "As we move forward as an industry, we must take a deliberate approach that places trust at the center and build a robust governance framework for innovation and responsible implementation," Christiaens added.
The survey paints a picture of an industry at an inflection point: brimming with confidence in agentic AI's potential and actively pursuing its adoption, yet navigating a crucial period where establishing strong, formal governance will be essential to mitigate risk and ensure long-term, responsible success.
Collibra helps our customers accelerate data and AI use cases — without the risk. Our powerful, unified platform brings flexible governance and continuous quality with automated visibility, control and traceability to the world's leading brands. Collibra unifies governance for data and AI for every user, every use case and across every source so that everyone in the organization can trust, comply and consume their data at scale. This is Data Confidence™.
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