The KPMG AI agent playbook shows that enterprise AI investment is accelerating, but measurable business value is still lagging. KPMG reports that organisations plan to spend an average of $186 million on AI over the next year, but only 11% of AI agents have successfully scaled to deliver enterprise-wide outcomes.
This does not mean AI is failing. Instead, it highlights a structural gap between experimentation and real operational transformation. While 64% of organisations say AI is delivering “meaningful” results, most of these gains remain incremental and do not significantly impact margins or long-term efficiency.
KPMG identifies a clear divide between AI leaders and other organisations. Among leaders, 82% report strong business value from AI, compared to 62% of their peers. The difference lies in how AI is deployed. Most enterprises layer AI tools onto their existing workflows, whereas leading organisations redesign processes first and then deploy AI agents to operate within them. As a result, these agents can automate decisions, coordinate workflows across functions, and generate real-time insights that drive compounding efficiency gains.
At the same time, governance plays a critical role in scaling AI successfully. More mature organisations embed governance directly in deployment, enabling faster adoption and greater confidence in managing risks. Without this foundation, companies often struggle with integration complexity, hidden infrastructure costs, and inconsistent AI performance.
Key takeaways include:
- Only 11% of enterprises have scaled AI agents effectively.
- Process redesign matters more than tool adoption.
- Governance enables faster and safer AI scaling.
- Integration and infrastructure remain major hidden costs.
Ultimately, the KPMG AI agent playbook stresses that AI success depends less on how much organisations invest and more on how effectively they redesign systems around AI agents.
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