A new report by Cloudera reveals that while businesses around the world are excited to use AI agents, many are facing serious challenges. The top three barriers? Data privacy concerns, outdated legacy systems, and high implementation costs.
The report, titled “The Future of Enterprise AI Agents,” is based on a global survey of nearly 1,500 IT leaders across 14 countries. According to the findings, 96% of respondents plan to increase their use of AI agents in the next year—half of them significantly across their entire organizations.
Data Privacy Is the Top Concern
Even with strong interest in AI agents, 53% of IT leaders said data privacy is the biggest hurdle. After that, 40% pointed to issues integrating with legacy systems, and 39% mentioned the cost of implementing AI technology. Cloudera highlights that all three challenges have a common need: strong, unified data management and governance.
Adoption Is Rising Fast
The use of AI agents has grown quickly. 57% of those surveyed said they’ve deployed AI agents in the last two years, with 21% doing so just in the past year. Most businesses are choosing a hybrid approach to deployment:
- 66% are building agents on enterprise AI infrastructure.
- 60% are using agent features already built into their existing applications.
This shows that businesses want AI systems that are secure, scalable, and close to their data.
Why AI Agents Matter
A big 83% of companies believe investing in AI agents is essential to stay competitive. Some of the top ways they’re using AI agents include:
- Performance optimization bots (66%)
- Security monitoring agents (63%)
- Developer assistants (62%)
These tools can help companies work faster, save money, and better connect with customers. But many are still figuring out how to overcome technical and budget-related obstacles to fully unlock these benefits.
Cloudera’s Recommendations
Cloudera suggests starting with small, high-impact projects—like using AI agents for internal IT support. These projects can show quick results and help build support for larger AI investments.
Abhas Ricky, Chief Strategy Officer at Cloudera, said:
“AI agents have moved beyond experimentation—they’re now delivering real automation, efficiency, and business results. We’re seeing enterprises run hundreds of models in production, all demanding high-fidelity, well-managed data to drive better outcomes.”
He further added:
“In 2025, agentic AI is taking center stage, building on the momentum of generative AI but with even greater operational impact. Cloudera is enabling this transformation through the world’s first Enterprise AI Ecosystem, helping global organizations design secure, scalable, and integrated AI workflows that turn data into action.”
AI in Action: Use Cases by Industry
The report also outlines how different industries are using AI agents:
- Finance & Insurance:
Fraud detection (56%), risk assessment (44%), investment advice (38%) - Manufacturing:
Process automation (49%), supply chain optimization (48%), quality control (47%) - Healthcare:
Appointment scheduling (51%), diagnostic help (50%), medical record handling (47%) - Telecommunications:
Customer support bots (49%), customer experience tools (44%), security agents (49%)
As more companies look to scale up their use of AI agents, Cloudera’s research makes it clear: the path forward will require smart planning, strong data foundations, and a focus on trust, security, and value-driven innovation.