KPMG AI Quarterly Pulse Survey
News
Agent Deployment Accelerates as Organizations Build Confidence Through Early Wins
The KPMG Q3 2025 AI Quarterly Pulse survey reveals that AI agent deployment has nearly quadrupled, with 42% of organizations now having deployed at least some agents, up from 11% two quarters ago.
Executive Insight
With insights drawn from seven consecutive quarters of proprietary research tracking AI adoption, KPMG’s latest AI Quarterly Pulse Survey reveals trends that must shape planning and investment decisions now. This survey offers a rare, longitudinal view of where momentum is building—and where leaders must act now. This most recent survey conducted was between July 30 – August 21, 2025.
AI agent adoption has surged from 11% to 42% in just two quarters - nearly quadrupling - as leaders see clear ROI from automating repeatable work. Investment is up 14% since Q1 to an average of $130M, fueled by visible gains in productivity (97%) and profitability (94%)—and mounting board pressure to show value fast. But scaling exposes challenges: data quality concerns have jumped from 56% to 82% in a single quarter, and cybersecurity risks now affect 78% of organizations. Workforce resistance has fallen dramatically - from 47% last quarter to just 21% - likely attributable to targeted training, sandbox environments, and innovative “agent shadowing” programs. The mandate is clear: strengthen data foundations, design human–AI collaboration intentionally and evolve success metrics.
Key Findings: Leadership, barriers, and breakthroughs
AI reshaping how work gets done: A majority of leaders (76%) expect employees to manage AI agents within the next two to three years. Additionally, 56% of organizations anticipate changes to their entry-level hiring strategies in the next 12 months. | |
| Barriers rise with scale: As AI adoption accelerates, leaders cite data quality (82%, up from 56% last quarter), cybersecurity (78%), and the growing complexity of generative systems (71%, up from 39% last quarter) as the top barriers to success. |
 | Large-scale financial commitment underway: The average projected investment in AI over the next 12 months is $130 million, up from $114 million in Q1 of 2025. Strategic spending is increasing across key areas, especially data and analytics, which nearly doubled from 11% to 20% quarter-over-quarter. |
| From investment to impact: While 57% of leaders expect measurable ROI within 12 months, organizations are already capturing value–consistent with last quarter, 97% of leaders are seeing productivity gains, 94% report improved profitability, and 91% are seeing higher quality work. |
Dive into our thinking:
AI Q3 2025 Pulse Survey: Key Findings
Download PDFFrom concept to confidence: AI agents adoption accelerates
We’re already seeing agent deployments deliver measurable ROI – both inside our firm and with clients. Agents are taking on repeatable, measurable work where time and cost savings show up directly in the metrics organizations track today. That clarity is why leaders feel so confident about achieving ROI in the next 12 months: the results are visible, tangible, and compounding quickly.
Steve Chase
U.S. Vice Chair and Global Head of AI and Digital Innovation
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