93% of Software Leaders Plan Custom AI Agents, Finds OutSystems Study

New research from OutSystems, a leading AI-powered low-code development platform, highlights a dramatic shift toward agentic AI in software development. According to the report, Navigating Agentic AI & Generative AI in Software Development: Human-Agent Collaboration is Here—created in collaboration with CIO Dive and KPMG—93% of surveyed software executives are either developing or planning to develop their own custom AI agents.

Agentic AI Emerges as Strategic Priority

The study highlights how today's IT leaders, burdened with limited resources and mounting pressure for measurable outcomes, are increasingly turning to agentic AI to address persistent operational and integration challenges. By harnessing AI agents, organizations aim to:

• Automate large-scale business processes

• Personalize digital experiences

• Leverage siloed data

• Maintain robust compliance, security, and governance standards

“The software development lifecycle is undergoing a significant transformation,” said Woodson Martin, CEO of OutSystems. “In the near future, AI agents acting as highly specialised teams will continuously refine software solutions, while developers shift focus to creative and strategic priorities.”

Productivity Gains, Workforce Upskilling, and Role Evolution

Based on responses from 550 global software executives, the report found:

• Increased productivity and software quality: Over two-thirds of respondents reported fewer bugs and greater developer efficiency.

• Scalability improvements: 62% observed greater scalability in their development efforts.

• Enhanced QA and testing: 60% noted gains in testing effectiveness.

With these gains, developers are shifting from repetitive tasks toward solving complex business problems—reshaping their roles and sparking new opportunities for innovation.

The report also indicates that 69% of software executives expect new AI-related roles (e.g., prompt engineers, agent architects), and 63% anticipate significant upskilling and reskilling requirements for development teams.

Key Findings at a Glance

• AI-driven autonomy takes hold: 46% of organisations are already integrating agentic AI; another 28% are piloting deployments.

• Customer service leads agent adoption: 49% are building AI agents to manage customer inquiries, followed by product development (38%), sales and marketing (32%), and HR (24%).

• Top AI adoption drivers: Improving customer experience (56%), automating repetitive tasks (55%), accelerating development timelines (54%), and advancing digital transformation (53%).

• Emerging risks and challenges: 64% of respondents raised concerns around governance, compliance, and transparency in AI decisions. Additionally, 44% identified AI sprawl and rising technical debt as critical risks that must be managed to ensure responsible scaling.

The Road Ahead: From Pilots to Scaled Impact

“Many organizations started with AI pilots a year ago or earlier,” said Michael Harper, Managing Director at KPMG LLP. “Now, they’re seeing real gains in areas like code generation and testing, which is fuelling confidence and broader adoption.”

As enterprises continue to scale AI initiatives, custom agents are expected to become central to an AI-first enterprise strategy—impacting development processes, workforce roles, and digital business outcomes.

Methodology

The study surveyed 550 software executives across IT services, manufacturing, BFSI, and more. The survey spanned the U.S., U.K., Japan, France, Canada, Australia, India, and Germany, and was conducted between April 25 and May 5, 2025.