Gartner predicts that by 2028, the average global Fortune 500 enterprise will utilize over 150,000 AI agents, a substantial increase from fewer than 15 in 2025. This rapid expansion is expected to lead to significant “agent sprawl,” introducing increased IT complexity and management difficulties.
Key Findings
Governance Gap: Only 13% of organizations currently believe they have adequate AI agent governance in place.
Risks: Ungoverned agents pose risks such as misinformation, data loss, and “shadow AI” (unauthorized tools).
Economic Impact: AI agents are projected to mediate more than $15 trillion in B2B spending by 2028.
Security Threats: Gartner anticipates that by 2028, 25% of enterprise security breaches will be attributable to the misuse of AI agents.
Strategic Recommendations
Gartner advises CIOs to implement six steps to manage agent sprawl:
- Establish clear agent policies
- Create a centralized agent inventory using AI TRiSM (Trust, Risk, and Security Management) tools
- Define agent identities and lifecycle models
Max Goss, Sr. Director Analyst at Gartner, emphasizes the necessity of balancing agent governance with employee empowerment for innovation, stating that simply blocking AI agents is not a sustainable long-term strategy.