New research from Optro has found that organisations are introducing autonomous Artificial Intelligence into core business processes faster than governance and accountability frameworks are developing.

Organisations are deploying agentic Artificial Intelligence across business-critical workflows while significant gaps remain in governance, accountability and risk management, according to new research from Optro.

The report, When AI leaves the chat and enters the workflow, examines the challenges organisations face as they move from conversational Generative AI towards autonomous AI agents capable of accessing systems and taking actions within enterprise environments.

According to the research, one in three organisations already uses Artificial Intelligence in critical resilience workflows. However, 30% have never tested their ability to respond to failures involving agentic AI, including loss of control or failures in autonomous decision-making.

The research also identified a gap between confidence in AI governance and the controls organisations have implemented. While 58% of leaders believe their governance controls are keeping pace with AI adoption, only 18% have active risk mitigations in place.

Optro reported that 40% of organisations experienced inaccurate AI outputs during the past 12 months, while 27% reported data breaches and 26% experienced regulatory action associated with AI use.

Identity management is another area of concern as autonomous agents gain access to enterprise systems and data. The report found that 85% of organisations have integrated Artificial Intelligence into core operations, but only a quarter have comprehensive visibility into how employees are using the technology.

Nearly two-thirds of organisations also reported experiencing an AI agent-related incident during the past 12 months, with incidents resulting in data exposure, operational disruption or financial losses.

“The reality today is that agentic AI adoption is fast outpacing governance,” said Guru Sethupathy, General Manager of AI Governance, Optro. “But to harness its potential responsibly, leaders must recognize that governance models designed for static manual processes cannot keep pace with autonomous systems of action. Redesigning governance isn’t about pulling back on innovation; it’s about building the control structure to give organizations the confidence to scale AI faster and more reliably than the competition.”

The report argues that organisations need to establish clearer human accountability for autonomous AI systems and improve visibility of AI agents operating across enterprise environments.

It also provides agentic AI readiness checklists for internal audit, compliance, IT, cybersecurity and AI governance teams.