80% of CEOs pivot to AI agents: Why operational foundations are being rebuilt

The "Digital Era" is maturing into something far more disruptive. According to the latest Gartner CEO and Senior Business Executive Survey, the focus of global leadership has shifted. It is no longer about what an organisation does, but how it does it. This transition is being defined as the shift from Digital Business to Autonomous Business.

With 80% of CEOs expecting AI to force a high to medium degree of change to their operational capabilities, the goal is no longer just "automation", it is "autonomy."

What is an autonomous business?

Unlike digital business, which focuses on technology-enabled services, autonomous business relies onself-learning software agents and machine customers. These entities make decisions and take actions independently, creating entirely new types of value.

The survey highlights a dramatic timeline for this transition:

• Current State: 54% of CEOs say automation is currently limited to specific tasks.

• The 2028 Vision: Only 13% expect to remain at that basic level.

• The New Normal: 27% expect to operate primarily without human intervention, signalling the rise of autonomous ecosystems.

The threat to transactional revenue

Perhaps the most startling finding is the risk to traditional profit models. 28% of CEOs believe transactional revenue is at high risk because AI agents can bypass intermediaries and conduct real-time pricing negotiations.

“As AI agents automate purchasing, pricing, and negotiation, they remove the extra steps and inefficiencies that transaction fees were designed to cover,” says David Furlonger, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner. “This is forcing CEOs to pivot toward recurring, outcome-based revenue models.”

The rise of the machine customer

While CEOs don't expect their human customer base to change significantly, they are bracing for a surge in machine customers. Gartner predicts that through 2026, the number of large companies with dedicated business units to access machine customer markets will double.

For CIOs, the mandate is clear: systems must now be built to support both human and machine decision-makers, with data integrity and trust serving as the core foundation.

“To prepare for this inevitable future, CEOs and CIOs must lead their organisations to rebuild their operational foundations and reengineer their people, assets, and financial structures,” said Don Scheibenreif, Distinguished VP Analyst at Gartner.

Conclusion

The shift to autonomous business is not just another layer of IT; it is a catalyst for rebuilding the enterprise itself. As AI agents begin to dominate the transactional landscape, the winners of 2026 and beyond will be those who move away from "fee-for-service" models and embrace the "capabilities-first" mindset of the autonomous economy.

Read More:

The rise of distributed manufacturing: How localised production is reshaping global supply chains

Managed security services: How Acronis Is transforming partner ecosystems

Managed security services: How partners are becoming cyber risk owners

AI redefining distribution strategy toward platform-led partner ecosystem