Editorial illustration for Trust Drives C‑suite Adoption and Scaling of Agentic AI, Research Finds
C-Suite Trust Drives Agentic AI Enterprise Adoption
Trust Drives C‑suite Adoption and Scaling of Agentic AI, Research Finds
Across the C‑suite, executives are weighing more than just performance metrics when they consider agentic AI. While the technology promises faster decision‑making, the research highlights a quieter, yet decisive factor: confidence in the underlying systems. The study, titled “Across the C‑suite, trust is the key to scaling agentic AI,” surveyed senior leaders about what enables—or stalls—enterprise‑wide rollout.
Findings point to three concrete elements—high‑quality data, robust security protocols, and clear employee adoption pathways—as the building blocks of that confidence. Without them, even the most sophisticated models risk remaining in pilot phases. Yet when those pillars hold, leaders report smoother alignment across departments and a clearer line to the promised value of an “agentic enterprise.” The data suggest that trust functions both as a catalyst and a choke point, shaping how quickly organizations can move from experimentation to full‑scale deployment.
This tension sets the stage for the research’s central observation.
Trust isn't a constraint; it's the foundation that allows companies to move faster, align teams, and unlock the full value of the agentic enterprise." Trust is the accelerator -- and the bottleneck Quality data, security, and employee adoption are the pillars of trust, according to the research among hundreds of CIOs, CFOs and CHROs: One of CIOs' top two fears around AI implementation is a lack of trusted data 66% of CFOs say security or privacy threats keep them up at night regarding their AI strategy Chief HR Officers (CHROs) see trust through the lens of their people: 73% say their employees remain unaware of how AI agents will impact their work "What's striking is how aligned leaders have become around trust," Inzerillo says.
Will trust hold the key? The Salesforce study suggests it does. Leaders are eager to roll out AI agents, yet the research warns that without confidence in data, security and employee buy‑in, scaling may stall.
Trust, described as both accelerator and bottleneck, underpins the projected 327 % surge in adoption over the next two years. Quality data, robust security measures and genuine employee adoption are cited as the three pillars supporting that confidence. However, the report leaves open whether organizations can reliably deliver those pillars at pace.
The quote from the study—'Trust isn’t a constraint; it’s the foundation that allows companies to move faster, align teams, and unlock the full value of the agentic enterprise'—captures the optimism, but the path to that foundation remains unclear. In short, the ambition to harness agentic AI is evident, yet its ultimate payoff hinges on trust, a factor that still demands concrete action and verification.
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Common Questions Answered
Why do only 6% of companies fully trust AI agents to handle core business processes?
According to the [fortune.com](https://fortune.com/2025/12/09/harvard-business-review-survey-only-6-percent-companies-trust-ai-agents/) report, companies are cautious about AI agent autonomy due to concerns about cybersecurity, data quality, and unprepared business processes. Only 20% believe their technology infrastructure is ready, and just 15% feel their data and systems are prepared for agentic AI at scale.
What are the key challenges preventing widespread adoption of agentic AI in enterprises?
The [salesforce.com](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/playbook/agentic-ai/) research highlights three primary challenges: lack of trusted data, cybersecurity concerns, and the need for employee readiness. [workato.com](https://www.workato.com/the-connector/hbr-enterprise-ai-trust-gap/) reports that 31% cite cybersecurity and privacy concerns, 23% worry about data output quality, and 22% point to unready business processes as major obstacles.
How are organizations preparing for the integration of agentic AI?
[cio.com](https://www.cio.com/article/4064000/trust-at-scale-the-key-to-business-ready-agentic-ai.html) emphasizes the importance of strong governance, robust cybersecurity, and careful data management. Over 74% of organizations are working on or planning to implement enterprise orchestration to prepare for agentic AI, with 86% planning to increase their investment in AI agents over the next two years.