Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are gaining ground in the workplace, but human workers are cagily resisting their incursions, according to Workday-commissioned research.
The survey-based report, AI agents are here – but don’t call them boss, found 30% of respondents discomfited with being managed by an AI agent, though three-quarters said they are at ease working with them.
Hanover Research carried out the study in May and June 2025, commissioned by Workday. It was based on a global survey of 2,950 full-time business IT decision-makers and software implementation leaders across North America (706), APAC (1,031), and EMEA (1,213).
The research found that ethical, security and governance concerns are impeding AI agent deployment. Some 44% cited ethics and governance concerns, including bias, data privacy, and legal matters, and 39% cited security and privacy challenges. Moreover, 30% said they were very to extremely concerned about AI misuse, fundamentally.
The researchers elected to focus on agentic AI, not AI more broadly. “For the purpose of this report, ‘AI agents’ refers to artificial intelligence systems capable of performing tasks, making decisions, and interacting autonomously or semi-autonomously within a defined scope, often learning and adapting over time to achieve specific goals,” the report says. “Unlike broader AI, which can encompass a wide range of intelligent technologies, AI agents are characterised by their ability to act on behalf of a user or system with a degree of independence. Our research specifically focuses on the adoption and impact of these AI agents in the workplace.”
For the commissioning supplier, Kathy Pham, vice-president of AI at Workday, said: “We’re entering a new era of work where AI can be an incredible partner, and a complement to human judgement, leadership and empathy. “Building trust means being intentional in how AI is used and keeping people at the centre of every decision.”
In the report, she says: “Optimism in agentic AI is forged through clear boundaries. These boundaries, defined by our choices, are essential for purposeful and responsible deployment, freeing us to explore AI’s full potential without fear of misuse. Leaders must prioritise training that empowers employees to understand when and how to use AI, while technology providers build these boundaries directly into their solutions, giving customers the confidence to innovate – especially in high-stakes areas like HR and finance.”
The research found that 82% of the organisations surveyed are expanding their use of agents, and while 36% of those exploring AI agents trust their organisation to use them responsibly, the research found that number increasing to 95% among those with more experience of agents, at the stage of looking to scale up usage. Similarly, 90% of those looking to scale up saw trust that AI agentic usage will have a positive social impact.
However, only a small minority (24%) of respondents say they are comfortable with AI agents operating in the background without human knowledge. A similar number said agents are being overhyped.
Nearly 90% of respondents believe AI agents will help them get more done, but many are also concerned these productivity gains will lead to increased pressure (48%), a decline in critical thinking (48%) and less human interaction (36%).
Most saw agents as important teammates, but not full members of the workforce. Trust in AI was highest for IT support and skills development, and lowest for areas like hiring, finance and legal matters.
Finance professionals in particular seem prone to seeing an upside in agentic AI usage.
More than three-quarters (76%) of finance workers believe AI agents will help with personnel and skills shortages, while a seemingly low 12% are worried about job loss. The top uses for AI agents in finance are forecasting and budgeting (32%), financial reporting (32%), and fraud detection (30%).
The report concludes, balancing IT and HR as functions, “ethics, a key concern for 33% of respondents, mandates multidisciplinary oversight. IT leadership must engage beyond its traditional scope for responsible AI. This is where HR assumes an indispensable strategic role.”
