AI B2B SaaS
AI Agents in B2B SaaS: Forecasts vs Surveys in 2026
Forecasts about AI agents in B2B SaaS and enterprise software are easy to find and harder to check. Several widely repeated figures trace back to one firm’s prediction, and most adoption numbers come from surveys run by software vendors. This article separates the two.
Key takeaways
- Gartner’s 40% figure for AI agents in B2B SaaS is a forecast for the end of 2026. That deadline has not yet passed as of 12 October 2026, so the figure is not a measured result, and the sources reviewed include no follow-up.
- G2’s 57% and Zapier’s 49% are vendor-run surveys that measure different things: company-wide production use versus customer-support deployment.
- Gartner’s 2022 forecast on AI-guided selling had a 2025 deadline, and its wording differs from 2026 coverage that restates a 75% figure without naming Gartner.
- Gartner’s August 2025 forecast that 75% of B2B buyers will prefer sales experiences that prioritise human interaction by 2030 measures buyer preference, not agent adoption. The two are different measures, so the forecast does not contradict the adoption figures and should be read beside them.
What Gartner predicted
In August 2025, Gartner predicted that 40% of enterprise applications would be integrated with task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026, up from less than 5% at the time. Gartner also projected that agentic AI could account for about 30% of enterprise application software revenue by 2035, in its best-case scenario.
These are forecasts, not measurements. The end-2026 deadline has not yet passed as of 12 October 2026, and the sources reviewed for this article do not include a published follow-up measuring the forecast. Gartner also warned about “agentwashing,” the practice of labelling AI assistants as agents when they do not act independently. That warning matters when reading any adoption figure, because the definition of “agent” changes the count.
- Claim
- 40% of enterprise applications will be integrated with task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026, up from less than 5% in 2025.
- Claim type
- Forecast
- Original source
- Gartner press release
- Publication date
- 26 August 2025 (updated 5 September 2025)
- Measurement date
- Not applicable: a forecast, not a measurement
- Sample and population
- Not applicable
- Method or definition
- Gartner’s forecast. The underlying report is available to Gartner clients, and its method was not reviewed.
- Limitations
- A forecast whose end-2026 deadline has not yet passed (as of 12 October 2026). No published follow-up measuring it was found.
- Editorial interpretation
- Treat this as a prediction about the market’s direction, not as evidence of how many applications have agents today.
What adoption surveys show for AI agents in B2B SaaS
G2’s 2025 AI Agents Insights Report, based mainly on a survey of more than 1,000 B2B decision-makers, found that 57% of companies have AI agents in production. G2 is a software review marketplace, so treat this as one vendor-run data point rather than an independent market census.
- Claim
- 57% of companies have AI agents in production.
- Claim type
- Survey (self-reported)
- Original source
- G2, 2025 AI Agents Insights Report
- Publication date
- 9 October 2025
- Measurement date
- G2’s August 2025 survey
- Sample and population
- More than 1,000 B2B decision-makers, with G2 review data used to validate some findings.
- Method or definition
- “In production” as reported by respondents.
- Limitations
- Published by a software review marketplace. The sample composition by company size was not reviewed.
- Editorial interpretation
- A useful signal of broad adoption, but it should not be read as an independent census.
Zapier, a workflow automation vendor, surveyed more than 500 US enterprise leaders in late October 2025. It found that 49% of enterprises had deployed AI agents in customer support and 47% in operations. These are department-level figures, so they will not match a company-wide count.
- Claim
- 49% of enterprises have deployed AI agents in customer support, and 47% in operations.
- Claim type
- Survey (self-reported)
- Original source
- Zapier survey release, GlobeNewswire
- Publication date
- 15 December 2025
- Measurement date
- 23 to 27 October 2025
- Sample and population
- More than 500 US enterprise leaders, surveyed by Centiment for Zapier.
- Method or definition
- Share of enterprises that have deployed agents in each department.
- Limitations
- Vendor-commissioned, US sample only, and department-level rather than company-wide.
- Editorial interpretation
- Customer support appears to be an early area of deployment, based on this survey alone.
In the chart, G2’s figure covers all companies in production, while Zapier’s figures cover two departments at enterprises. The bars are not a like-for-like comparison and should not be read as a ranking of adoption.
A sales prediction that needs checking
Gartner’s Sales Predicts 2022 report stated that by 2025, 75% of B2B sales organizations would augment traditional sales playbooks with AI-guided selling solutions. That wording differs from 2026 coverage that restates a 75% figure for 2026 without naming Gartner, such as a Laxis benchmark published on 13 June 2026. The 2025 deadline has passed.
A separate Gartner press release from August 2025 predicted that by 2030, 75% of B2B buyers will prefer sales experiences that prioritise human interaction over AI. Read together, the two predictions point to a buyer expectation that vendors need to plan for, not only adoption that needs to be matched.
Forecasts and surveys at a glance
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Figure | What it measures | Source | Date | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40% of enterprise apps with task-specific agents | Forecast for the end of 2026 (deadline not yet passed) | Gartner | August 2025 | Forecast (no follow-up found) |
| 57% of companies with agents in production | Self-reported adoption, all company sizes | G2 | August 2025 survey | Vendor survey |
| 49% of enterprises with agents in customer support | Department-level adoption | Zapier | October 2025 survey | Vendor survey |
| 47% of enterprises with agents in operations | Department-level adoption | Zapier | October 2025 survey | Vendor survey |
| 75% of B2B sales orgs using AI-guided selling | Forecast for 2025 (deadline passed) | Gartner Sales Predicts 2022 | December 2021 | Forecast (wording differs from 2026 coverage that omits Gartner) |
| 75% of B2B buyers preferring human-led sales by 2030 | Buyer preference forecast | Gartner | August 2025 | Forecast |
Editorial analysis
The publication’s own reading, not a reported finding: for AI agents in B2B SaaS, adoption surveys and forecasts answer different questions. A survey asks what companies say they have running; a forecast estimates where the market will be. Used together, they tell a buyer more than either does alone, but neither shows that agents deliver a particular business result. Before citing an adoption figure, check who ran the survey, when it ran, and which functions it covered.
Frequently asked questions
Has Gartner’s 40% prediction come true?
The sources reviewed do not show a measured result. The end-2026 deadline has not yet passed as of 12 October 2026, and no published follow-up measuring the forecast was found.
Why do adoption figures for AI agents in B2B SaaS differ?
The surveys use different samples and definitions. G2 reports 57% of companies with agents in production. Zapier reports 49% of enterprises with agents in customer support, which is a department-level figure.
What share of companies have AI agents in production?
G2’s 2025 AI Agents Insights Report, based mainly on a survey of more than 1,000 B2B decision-makers, found that 57% of companies have AI agents in production. G2 is a software review marketplace, so treat this as one vendor-run data point.
What share of enterprises use AI agents in customer support?
Zapier, a workflow automation vendor, found that 49% of enterprises had deployed AI agents in customer support in its October 2025 survey of more than 500 US enterprise leaders. These are department-level figures.
What is agentwashing?
Gartner’s term for labelling AI assistants as agents when they do not act independently. Because the definition of “agent” changes the count, check how a survey defines an agent before comparing figures.
Do B2B buyers prefer human-led sales?
Gartner’s August 2025 forecast says that by 2030, 75% of B2B buyers will prefer sales experiences that prioritise human interaction over AI. That measures buyer preference, not agent adoption, so it does not contradict the adoption figures.
Did Gartner’s AI-guided selling forecast come true?
The article does not report a measured result for it. Gartner’s 2022 forecast said that by 2025, 75% of B2B sales organizations would augment traditional sales playbooks with AI-guided selling solutions. Its deadline has passed.
Can vendor surveys on AI agents be trusted?
Use them with care. Vendor-run surveys report self-reported adoption, and their samples and definitions differ. Compare each figure by its source, date and definition before citing it.
What should I check before citing an AI agent statistic?
Before citing an adoption figure, check who ran the survey, when it ran, and which functions it covered. Compare each figure by its source, date and definition before citing it.
Do AI agents deliver measurable business results?
The sources reviewed do not show that. Neither type of source shows that agents deliver a specific business outcome.
Sources
- Gartner. “Gartner Predicts 40% of Enterprise Apps Will Feature Task-Specific AI Agents by 2026, Up from Less Than 5% in 2025.” 26 August 2025. Gartner press release. Accessed 12 October 2026.
- G2. “G2 Report Reveals AI Agents Are Delivering the Growth Generative AI Promised.” BusinessWire, 9 October 2025. BusinessWire release. Accessed 12 October 2026.
- G2. “G2’s Enterprise AI Agents Report: Industry Outlook for 2026.” 15 December 2025. G2 Learn. Accessed 12 October 2026.
- Zapier. “Zapier Survey Finds 84% of Enterprises Plan to Boost AI Agent Investment.” GlobeNewswire, 15 December 2025. GlobeNewswire release. Accessed 12 October 2026.
- Gartner. Sales predictions press release on AI-guided selling (Sales Predicts 2022). Gartner press release. Accessed 12 October 2026.
- Gartner. “Gartner Says By 2030 that 75% of B2B Buyers Will Prefer Sales Experiences that Prioritize Human Interaction Over AI.” 25 August 2025. Gartner press release. Accessed 12 October 2026.
- Laxis. “The State of AI Sales Agents 2026: Adoption, ROI & Market Benchmarks.” 13 June 2026. Laxis blog. Accessed 12 October 2026.
