A new report from KPMG reveals that 92% of technology executives believe managing artificial intelligence agents will become a critical skill within the next five years, as businesses increasingly adopt automated decision-making systems. The survey, which polled 2,500 tech executives across 27 countries, underscores a rapid shift toward agentic AI that is forcing organizations to restructure their workforce and rethink traditional operations.
Investment in Agentic AI Surges
According to the KPMG report, 88% of organizations are already investing in integrating agentic AI into their systems. This investment is expected to significantly alter team compositions over the next two years. By 2027, digital assistants are projected to comprise 36% of core technology teams, up from 28% in 2025. This shift reflects a broader move toward human-AI collaboration, where smaller, more agile teams are favored.
Expert Insights on AI Integration
Zack Kass, global AI advisor and former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI, emphasized that the future will be defined by human intent, not machine capability. "The future will not be defined by what machines can do. It will be defined by what we want machines to do," Kass said. He recommended moving toward smaller teams and flatter structures to optimize human-AI collaboration and increase adaptability. "Play smaller, and you can be more forward-looking," he added.
Umesh Sachdev, co-founder and CEO of Uniphore, stressed the competitive urgency of mastering these new systems. "Companies that learn to use AI and AI agents and all these architectures effectively are likely to leave their peer groups behind," Sachdev said. "Right now, that is coming down to the leadership of companies and departments and teams."
Strategic Partnerships and Security Concerns
To manage the integration of agentic AI, 90% of technology executives plan to expand and strengthen partnerships to access external expertise. However, this growing reliance on third-party collaborators raises significant security, governance, and data protection concerns. Noelle Russell, an AI solutions architect and strategic advisor, recommended a selective approach: "Pick the areas that you want to keep in-house for domain expertise, then choose trusted partners to fill in the gaps across your portfolio. Paying attention to what you build means applying rigor and discipline to every model you select."
Long-Term Challenges: Quantum Computing and AGI
Beyond immediate agentic technologies, the KPMG report highlights long-term challenges from emerging fields like quantum computing and artificial general intelligence (AGI). Security remains a primary concern, with 41% of executives worried that they are falling behind in preparing for quantum-related encryption threats. Guy Holland, Global Leader of the CIO Center of Excellence at KPMG International, noted, "We stand at the threshold of the Intelligence Age, a period defined by an unprecedented pace of innovation and profound uncertainty, where technology is no longer just a tool, but a force reshaping the very fabric of business and society." He added, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rewriting the rules of competition, quantum breakthroughs loom on the horizon, and geopolitical uncertainty adds another layer of complexity. The forces shaping our world are leaving organizations and individuals grappling with what comes next."
