A groundbreaking study by Cisco has just dropped, and the numbers are staggering. After surveying 7,950 business and technical decision makers across 30 global markets, one thing is crystal clear: customers expect 56% of their technology partner interactions to be handled by agentic AI within just 12 months, and 68% within three years.

At Fini, we've been at the forefront of AI-powered customer experience solutions, but even we're struck by the velocity of this transformation. Let's dive into what this research reveals and what it means for businesses racing to keep up.

The Urgency Is Real: Customers Are Ready, Are You?

Here's the reality check every CX leader needs: 93% of respondents believe agentic AI will enable B2B technology businesses to deliver more personalized, proactive, and predictive services. This isn't wishful thinking, it's customer expectation setting the new baseline.

What Makes This Different from Traditional AI?

Agentic AI isn't just another chatbot upgrade. It's a category of artificial intelligence that leverages AI Agents with:

• Memory capabilities that retain context across interactions

• Task awareness that understands objectives and workflows

• Decision-making ability to choose actions with minimal human oversight

• Learning capacity from environment and reasoning

Think of it as the difference between a calculator and a strategic advisor. Traditional AI tools respond to queries; agentic AI anticipates needs, takes initiative, and drives outcomes.

The Global Landscape: What Decision Makers Really Want

The research, conducted across industries from IT and manufacturing to healthcare and financial services, reveals fascinating insights about customer priorities:

Top 5 Use Cases Driving Adoption:

1. Enhanced data analytics and insights for smarter decision-making

2. Accelerated troubleshooting and issue resolution

3. Alignment of technology investment with digital transformation goals

4. Support for adoption and training on new technology rollouts

5. Optimization of product features and capabilities

6. 
   

The Productivity Promise

55% of respondents expect agentic AI to significantly improve vendor performance in support ticket resolution times. This isn't just about faster responses, it's about fundamentally reimagining how customer issues get resolved before they even become problems.

That’s why leading enterprises are moving away from legacy ticketing tools like Zendesk and Intercom, which are still dependent on static workflows and brittle deflection.

The Human-AI Paradox: Efficiency ≠ Replacing Empathy

Here's where it gets interesting: despite their enthusiasm for AI-driven interactions, 96% of respondents consider human relationships very important when interacting with B2B technology partners.

The key insight? 89% state that technology businesses must combine human empathy and connection with agentic AI efficiency to optimize customer experience.

This creates a fascinating dynamic:

• Customers want AI efficiency for routine tasks and data processing

• They demand human expertise for complex problem-solving and strategic guidance

• They expect seamless handoffs between AI agents and human experts

This is exactly how Fini’s AI agents are designed - with intelligent escalation logic, memory-aware transfers, and conversational Flows that personalize journeys in real time.

Governance: The New Baseline for AI Deployment

With great power comes great responsibility, and the research highlights critical concerns:

68% of respondents believe that the development of agentic AI poses ethical or safety concerns. The top priorities for businesses deploying agentic AI include:

• Security and privacy of customer data

• Advanced AI technology and robust tools

• Customer-centric AI design principles

• Appropriately skilled staff to program and manage models

• Robust governance arrangements for ethical AI use (Fini’s Trust Metrics)

99% of respondents state it's important for technology partners to demonstrate robust governance arrangements. This isn't optional, it's table stakes.

What This Means for Different Industries

Technology Sector

With 72% describing vendor support as "very important," tech companies face the highest expectations. The research shows customers want technology partners to help throughout the entire lifecycle - from strategy and planning through operations and renewals.

Financial Services

Given regulatory compliance requirements, financial institutions need agentic AI that can handle complex oversight tasks while maintaining human judgment for ethical considerations.

Healthcare

The combination of efficiency and empathy becomes critical, with AI handling data analysis and administrative tasks while humans manage patient-facing strategic decisions.

The Competitive Advantage Window Is Closing

Here's the wake-up call: 81% expect vendors that strategically deploy agentic AI to gain a competitive edge. But the window for first-mover advantage is narrow.

The Benefits for Early Adopters:

• 74% of respondents state customers are more likely to trust vendors using agentic AI

• 52% predict effective AI deployment leads to higher customer spend

• 86% believe agentic AI helps vendors become essential partners

The Risks for Laggards:

• Missed revenue opportunities

• Deteriorating customer relationships

• Reputational damage

• Higher customer churn rates

How Fini Is Addressing the Agentic Future

At Fini, we've been building toward this agentic future with our AI-powered customer support solutions. Our approach aligns perfectly with what this research reveals customers want:

• Proactive Problem-Solving

  • Our AI agents don't just respond - they anticipate issues using historical data patterns and prevent escalations. Like address mismatches during payment failure flows.

• Seamless Human-AI Collaboration

  • We've designed handoff mechanisms that preserve context when human expertise is needed, ensuring customers never feel lost in translation.

• Robust Security and Governance

  • Enterprise-grade security with transparent AI decision-making processes that customers can trust and audit.

• Real-Time Insights and Analytics

  • Beyond solving individual issues, our platform provides strategic insights that help businesses optimize their customer experience operations.

The 2028 Vision: Preparing for the 68% Reality

By 2028, when 68% of customer interactions are expected to be AI-driven, successful organizations will have:

1. Integrated agentic AI across the entire customer lifecycle

2. Established clear governance frameworks for ethical AI deployment

3. Trained human teams to work effectively alongside AI agents

4. Built trust through transparency in their AI operations

5. Demonstrated measurable ROI from their AI investments

Action Steps: Your Agentic AI Readiness Checklist

Immediate (Next 90 Days):

• [ ] Audit current AI capabilities and identify gaps

• [ ] Establish an AI governance committee with clear ethical guidelines

• [ ] Map customer journey touchpoints suitable for agentic AI

• [ ] Begin staff training on human-AI collaboration

Short-term (6-12 Months):

• [ ] Pilot agentic AI in low-risk, high-volume customer interactions

• [ ] Implement robust data security and privacy measures

• [ ] Develop seamless handoff protocols between AI and humans

• [ ] Create transparent communication about AI use to customers

Long-term (1-3 Years):

• [ ] Scale agentic AI across the full customer lifecycle

• [ ] Achieve 50%+ AI-driven interaction targets

• [ ] Demonstrate measurable improvements in customer satisfaction and efficiency

• [ ] Position as a strategic, essential partner through AI-enhanced services

The Bottom Line: The Future Is Agentic, The Timeline Is Now

The research is clear: agentic AI isn't a distant future concept - it's an immediate business imperative. Organizations that move quickly to implement ethical, effective agentic AI solutions will capture disproportionate value in customer loyalty, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning.

The question isn't whether agentic AI will transform customer experience, it's whether your organization will lead that transformation or be disrupted by it.

At Fini, we're committed to helping businesses navigate this agentic future successfully. The race is on, and the finish line is closer than you think.

Ready to explore how agentic AI can transform your customer experience? Discover how Fini's AI-powered solutions can help you meet the 56% target within 12 months. Get started with a demo today.