‘Agent Washing’ Exposed: Gartner Reveals 40% of AI Projects Might Fail as Many Tools Merely Rebrand Existing RPA Solutions and Chatbots

Gartner advises caution for enterprises considering agentic AI tools, noting that 40% of these projects may be cancelled within two years due to rising costs, inadequate ROI, and poor risk controls. Current applications are often immature, with many tools misclassified as agentic AI merely being advanced chatbots. Gartner highlighted that 130 authentic agentic AI products exist, pointing out a trend dubbed “agent washing,” where vendors market existing tools as AI solutions to capitalize on hype. Only 19% of organizations have made significant investments in this technology, while 31% are hesitating to see its development. Although the outlook seems grim, Gartner forecasts that by 2028, AI agents will autonomously make 15% of daily work decisions, with a third of enterprise software adopting the technology. Companies are encouraged to focus on processes that ensure clear value and ROI when integrating AI agents into their workflows.

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