Governance is the Top Priority for Companies Using Agentic AI Systems
In a recent survey conducted by an API management firm, Gravitee, nearly 80% of IT professionals ranked governance as “extremely important.” This statistic underscores a critical tension within organizations: while there is a strong eagerness to innovate using Agentic AI systems, the primary focus remains on responsible implementation.
Adoption of Agentic AI and LLMs
As of May 1, 2025, organizations are increasingly adopting Agentic AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance operational efficiency and improve customer experiences. The survey, which included responses from 300 technology leaders, developers, and AI practitioners, reveals that 72% of respondents are actively using agentic AI systems today. Furthermore, another 21% plan to implement these systems within the next 24 months, indicating a strong future pipeline.
Driving Factors for Adoption
Among the surveyed participants, nearly 74% selected increasing operational efficiency as the leading driver for implementing agentic AI. This highlights the view of agentic systems as essential tools for automating repetitive tasks, reducing manual overhead, and streamlining internal processes. Other significant factors include:
- Customer experience (46.23%)
- Reducing costs (37.74%)
This shift demonstrates that organizations are not only focused on innovation but also on delivering bottom-line results.
Challenges in Implementation
Despite the enthusiasm for agentic AI, organizations face numerous challenges. The survey data indicates that integration with existing systems, along with data privacy and security concerns, are top challenges for companies deploying these systems. Additionally, controlling the costs associated with LLM interactions emerges as the single biggest concern, with more than twice as many respondents prioritizing it over other issues.
The Importance of Governance
A unifying theme across all aspects of agentic AI adoption is the emphasis on governance. A striking 76% of respondents ranked governance as “extremely important,” illustrating the need for organizations to innovate responsibly while managing risks effectively.
Implementation Strategies
The survey reveals that establishing a dedicated agentic AI team is the most common approach, cited by 37.74% of respondents as their primary implementation group. This trend points to the emergence of a new functional specialty within enterprises that combines:
- Orchestration
- Prompt engineering
- Integration strategy
- Governance
Data science and engineering teams also play significant roles, contributing to 29.87% and 16.98% of implementations, respectively.
Developers’ Preferences
When it comes to operationalizing agents, OpenAI stands out as the dominant choice among developers and organizations due to its robust APIs and ecosystem maturity. Approximately 48.74% of respondents selected OpenAI, while other platforms like Google Vertex AI (10.06%), Microsoft Azure (8.81%), and IBM (8.81%) are also gaining traction. Notably, OpenAI’s ChatGPT has become the de facto entry point for organizations adopting LLMs, with 86.79% of respondents indicating prior usage.
Funding for Agentic AI Initiatives
Funding for agentic AI initiatives appears robust, with nearly half of the respondents (49.06%) reporting that their projects are backed by a net new budget specifically allocated for agentic AI. This trend signals strong executive buy-in and a long-term commitment to AI initiatives. Additionally, 35.53% of respondents are reallocating from existing budgets without cutting into other IT initiatives, suggesting a pragmatic approach of “start small, prove value.”
The largest group of respondents—49.37%—reported an annual spend between $50,000 and $249,999 on LLMs, indicating that many teams are moving beyond the proof-of-concept stage and are now scaling their usage.
Conclusion
The survey results reflect a growing urgency among companies to implement Agentic AI systems and LLMs to enhance productivity and customer experience. However, there is a clear emphasis on caution, particularly regarding governance and control. As organizations become more adept at managing these challenges, the adoption of agentic AI is expected to accelerate even further.
