62% of US organizations with $1 billion or more in revenue were building, deploying or developing AI agents in KPMG's Q3 2026 survey (24 July to 25 August 2026), up from 53% the quarter before. 25% were developing or running multi-agent systems.
+8.0 points since the previous figure: 54% (31 Mar 2026)
| Group | Organizations |
|---|---|
| Building, deploying or developing agents | 62% |
| Defined no-autonomy zones for agents | 49% |
| Multi-agent systems | 25% |
In plain words
Most big US companies now have AI agents in the works. Far fewer let agents act alone on risky decisions.
building, deploying or developing AI agents
working on multi-agent systems
set high-risk uses where agents may not decide alone
Why you can trust it. KPMG survey of 314 US leaders at $1B+ firms. A consulting firm's survey, not a random sample, and the question wording changes between quarters.
Source: KPMG LLP (US), AI Quarterly Pulse Survey, Q3 2026
Before and now
Actively deploying AI agents (KPMG wording then).
Building, deploying or developing (as reported in Q3).
Survey of 24 Jul to 25 Aug 2026.
KPMG publishes quarterly; the next release is expected around December.
Compare
USA Q3 2026
LatestQ2 2026, same measure
+9 ptsQ3 2026
-37 ptsOrganizations that have deployed agents (2026 survey)
-45 ptsWho it is for
Benchmark your agent plans against large US firms.
Most are past the idea stage.
See how peers limit agent autonomy.
49% set no-go zones for agent decisions.
Know that big-firm numbers do not describe you.
Census: 24.6% of all firms use any AI.
Who it affects
The same 62% means something different for each group.
Up 9 points in one quarter.
Share reporting significant workforce adoption of AI, up from 23% last quarter.
Nearly half define high-risk uses where agents may not decide alone.
Gains and risks
Numbers from studies and surveys, each with its source.
of organizations report significant workforce adoption of AI, up from 23% last quarter and 10% a year ago.KPMG Q3 2026 AI Pulse
are developing or implementing multi-agent systems, up from 6% in each of the two quarters before.KPMG Q3 2026 AI Pulse
build controls into their agents alongside monitoring and evaluation, down from 43% two quarters ago.KPMG Q3 2026 AI Pulse
have defined high-risk uses where agents are not allowed to make decisions alone.KPMG Q3 2026 AI Pulse
Where it shows
In Q1 2026, 63% required human validation of AI agent outputs, up from 22% in Q1 2025.
74% now include cost reviews in AI approval processes and 43% use usage or token budgets (all AI, not only agents).
The future
Forecasts below are made by others and linked to where they were published. Our own reading of the data is marked as ours.
Enterprise applications integrated with task-specific AI agents by the end of 2026, up from less than 5% in 2025
By Gartner, 26 Aug 2025
Worldwide spending on AI agents and assistants in 2026 (forecast, $29,219M)
By Gartner, 16 Sep 2026
Next data
KPMG publishes its AI Pulse every quarter. We will add the Q4 2026 number with its exact wording.
KPMG LLP (US), quarterly
The data
As published by KPMG LLP (US), AI Quarterly Pulse Survey, Q3 2026. Standard errors are shown where the source gives them.
| KPMG AI Quarterly Pulse (US, $1B+ firms) | Share | Survey |
|---|---|---|
| Building, deploying or developing AI agents | 62% | Q3 2026 |
| Same measure, quarter before | 53% | Q2 2026 |
| Developing or implementing multi-agent systems | 25% | Q3 2026 |
| Defined high-risk uses where agents may not decide alone | 49% | Q3 2026 |
| Build controls into agents plus monitoring | 30% | Q3 2026 |
| Actively deploying AI agents (older wording) | 54% | Q1 2026 |
| Require human validation of agent outputs | 63% | Q1 2026 |
Each survey defines "using agents" differently: deployed in production, scaling, experimenting, or "building, deploying or developing".
Most agent surveys ask leaders at large companies. None measures all US businesses yet.
Method and use
Today, 62% of organizations report they are now building, deploying or developing AI agents, up from 53% last quarter.
APA
MLA
HTML link
Keep the source link under the chart. The chart updates when the number does.
FAQ
Among large US companies ($1B+ revenue), 62% were building, deploying or developing AI agents in KPMG's Q3 2026 survey. Gartner's 2026 CIO survey found 17% had deployed them.
Yes. KPMG's measure rose from 53% to 62% in one quarter, and multi-agent work rose from 6% to 25%.
Often not. 49% have defined high-risk uses where agents may not decide alone, and in Q1 2026 63% required human validation of agent outputs.
Several AI agents that hand work to each other. 25% of large US firms were developing or running one in Q3 2026.
We help small and mid-size firms turn data like this into useful content, answers for customers and visibility in AI search.
Every number on this page was checked at its original source. Free to cite with a link to this page.
Free alerts from DigitalTreed, straight to your browser.
