Google Cloud Reports 52% of Executives Deploying AI Agents for Business Value

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Sept. 4, 2025 — Google Cloud announced findings from its second-annual global study on AI return on investment (ROI), revealing consistent revenue growth from generative AI initiatives and steady investment in AI projects.

The report highlighted a new group of 'agentic AI early adopters' deploying agents at scale, achieving higher ROI in areas such as customer service, marketing, security operations, and software development.

Commissioned by Google Cloud and conducted by National Research Group, the comprehensive ROI of AI Study surveyed 3,466 senior leaders from global enterprises across 24 countries with generative AI deployment.

The study found that AI agents, specialized large language models capable of independent planning and reasoning, are rapidly being adopted in organizations.

Oliver Parker, vice president of Global Generative AI Go-To-Market at Google Cloud, stated, 'This year's research shows we're entering the next chapter of the AI wave. The conversation has moved from 'if' to 'how fast,' with agentic AI as the new differentiator.'

The study also highlighted diverse applications of AI agents across various industries and regions. Carrie Tharp, vice president of Strategic Industries and Solutions at Google Cloud, noted, 'Organizations worldwide are using agentic AI to tackle complex industry-specific tasks.'

Financial returns on generative AI remain consistent, with 74% of executives reporting ROI within the first year. Additionally, 56% of executives say generative AI has led to business growth.

As investments in generative AI grow, data privacy and security have emerged as key considerations, with 37% of respondents citing them among their top LLM provider considerations.