Cover for the November 2026 PYMNTS Intelligence Agentic Edge Index. PYMNTS Intelligence examines agentic AI adoption, enterprise investment, business readiness and how leading companies are putting AI to work.

51% of Executives Say Internal Barriers Hold AI Back More Than Technology

The PYMNTS Agentic Edge Index: How Leading Companies Put AI to Work

AI agents have arrived at large U.S. companies, but most still don’t have permission to get the job done. New PYMNTS Intelligence research examines what’s holding businesses back and what companies further ahead do differently.

Inside the November Study

  • Adoption outpaces trust. While 89% of enterprises use agentic AI, 78% would limit agents to reading company directories. Just 20% would let them complete tasks with approval or act independently.
  • Greater AI use aligns with growth. Among companies in the index’s top third, 24% report annual revenue growth above 15%, compared with 12% in the bottom third. The findings show a connection, not causation.
  • AI leaders automate more tasks. Some 46% use AI for invoice processing and reconciliation, versus 26% in the bottom third. For contract and proposal generation, the gap is 46% to 19%.

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