In a significant shift for the industry, a recent survey indicates that an impressive 85% of developers and product leaders believe AI agents will soon be essential in their workflows. This finding comes from Nylas's 2026 State of Agentic AI report, which surveyed over 1,000 professionals involved in developing agentic systems. Currently, 67% of respondents are either building or deploying these workflows.
As businesses increasingly integrate AI agents, the report highlights a careful approach to implementation, emphasizing the need for human oversight and governance. Many organizations are gradually introducing these systems, focusing on reliability and compliance. For example, Zeb Evans, CEO of ClickUp, shared that his company utilizes over 3,258 AI agents alongside 1,300 human employees, showcasing the growing complexity of AI-human interactions.
According to Jeff Koets, CEO of Nylas, the competitive landscape is changing as agentic AI enters production environments. He noted that success will depend on vendors who provide clean data layers and reliable APIs. With 94% of survey participants willing to change vendors for better capabilities, the demand for robust AI infrastructures is clear, marking a pivotal moment for the market.