93 percent of software execs plan to introduce custom AI agents

New research from OutSystems shows an increasing trend in agentic AI prioritization among software executives with 93 percent of organizations already developing -- or planning to develop -- their own custom AI agents.

IT leaders are under pressure to deliver measurable business value while managing constrained resources and aligning technology investments with long-term strategic goals. Introducing agentic AI helps address these demands by tackling challenges like fragmented tools, and limited ability to leverage data siloed across the organization.

Based on responses from 550 global software executives, the report examines how AI adoption is transforming software development processes, with measurable impacts. More than two thirds of respondents report increased developer productivity, and improved software quality through fewer bugs. 62 percent of respondents also report improved scalability of development efforts, and 60 percent pointed to gains in enhanced testing and quality assurance (QA) efficiency.

"The software development lifecycle is undergoing a significant transformation as organizations increase AI investments to maintain their competitive edge. Blending AI with development tools enables IT leaders to manage this shift effectively and securely," says Woodson Martin, CEO of OutSystems. "In a near future, AI agents acting as highly specialized teams will continuously monitor business needs, identify opportunities, and proactively refine software solutions, allowing developers and business leaders to play a more creative role and focus on strategic priorities. This report underscores how AI advancements are reshaping traditional roles and unlocking opportunities for innovation and collaboration between humans and technology."

Nearly half of software executives (46 percent) report that their organizations are already integrating agentic AI into applications and workflows, with another 28 percent of respondents actively piloting such solutions. 49 percent say they’re planning to adopt AI agents for customer support to autonomously handle inquiries and support tasks, underscoring a drive to improve customer experience and scale support efficiently. Fewer executives are prioritizing agent-augmented applications in areas like product development (38 percent), sales and marketing (32 percent), supply chain management (28 percent), human resources (24 percent), or finance and accounting (23 percent).

Primary drivers for AI adoption include improving the customer experience (56 percent), automating routine and repetitive development tasks (55 percent), expediting software development timelines (54 percent), and accelerating digital transformation (53 percent).

Wider adoption of has also introduced significant governance, security, and compliance risks though. More than three in five software executives cite these challenges (64 percent) alongside concerns over the transparency and reliability of AI-generated decisions (64 percent). At the same time, the rapid proliferation of AI tools has created new fragmentation and oversight issues, with 44 percent of executives identifying increasing technical debt and AI sprawl as critical risks.

The full report is available from the OutSystems site.

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