AI agents push autonomy, but governance gap remains

HCLSoftware has published research that points to wider enterprise adoption of AI agents and autonomous systems, alongside concerns about governance and accountability as organisations deploy more autonomous tools.

The company's Tech Trends 2026 report drew on input from 173 enterprise leaders. It describes what it calls a shift towards "autonomous intelligence", with AI moving beyond recommendation systems and into software that carries out tasks.

The report identifies 2026 as a "crossover year" for this change. It says AI will move from recommending actions to executing tasks, which would alter how enterprises structure processes and controls.

Agent adoption

Research from HCLSoftware indicates a significant shift in corporate strategy, with 76% of surveyed leaders now prioritising the development of AI agents and autonomous systems. This momentum is reflected in current operations, as 80% of enterprises already have live initiatives or pilot programmes underway. 

The report further highlights an accelerated development cycle for low-code and no-code tools when integrated with artificial intelligence. Approximately 84% of respondents expect these AI-enhanced development approaches to reach full scale within the next 18 months, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for complex software creation. 

Beyond internal operations, HCLSoftware flags a disruptive change in the broader software ecosystem through the emergence of "Service-as-Software." This model is expected to challenge traditional Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) structures by shifting the focus from providing a platform to providing a finished outcome or service. 

Governance gap

The research points to governance as a weakness in some deployments. It says governance remains the "missing link" for 25% of organisations. The report links that gap to risks around fragmented operations and trust.

HCLSoftware frames governance as a design requirement for autonomous systems inside companies. It uses the phrase "governance-by-design" and links it to how organisations plan, build and deploy autonomous tools.

It also raises the issue of "digital sovereignty" in relation to autonomy. The report describes this as a control layer for global operations. It connects the concept to compliance, data integrity and stakeholder trust.

Board scrutiny

The report suggests that ethics and infrastructure questions have moved beyond IT teams. It says these topics now feature at board level, based on the responses it gathered.

It reports that 79% of respondents have active Responsible AI frameworks. It says 88% are assessing readiness for post-quantum cryptography.

The report also cites future connectivity planning. It says 60% of respondents anticipate 6G readiness within three years.

Operating model

HCLSoftware's report argues that the central challenge lies in designing autonomy across business systems rather than deploying individual tools. It says enterprises need approaches that integrate experience, data and operations.

It also references an internal framework described as the XDO blueprint. HCLSoftware defines this as Experience, Data, and Operations. The report presents it as a way of discussing intelligent systems alongside governance and accountability.

HCLSoftware ties the shift to a tighter decision cycle inside organisations. It says AI agents will compress decision-making timelines and influence how enterprises organise their technology stacks.

One context the report highlights is the timeframe for executive decision-making. It places emphasis on the next two to three years as enterprises move from experiments to more integrated deployments.

"Enterprises will be defined by what technology decides and governs on their behalf. The next 24-36 months are for leaders who can establish autonomous, resilient, and sovereign operating models," said Kalyan Kumar, Chief Product Officer, HCLSoftware.

"As AI agents compress decision cycles and rewrite the enterprise stack, governance-by-design is as critical as innovation-by-design," said Kumar.

2030 outlook

The report includes a "2030 Lens" that describes how the company expects trends to converge over the coming years. It links this to a transition from isolated pilots to integrated systems and enterprise-wide operating models.

It cites a "self-managed enterprise" as a potential mainstream model. It describes an autonomous decision core that continually re-plans sales, supply and resources. It also refers to an "AI footprint optimizer" that it says would cut costs and emissions across sites.

The report also describes work shifting beyond traditional screens. It points to XR co-pilot workspaces and persistent virtual sites as defaults for execution, training and remote inspections. It says this would sit alongside immersive experience labs.

On data strategy, it describes a move from collecting data towards what it calls "governing outcomes". It links this to a governed decision fabric and an enterprise data mesh. It connects those ideas to explainability, compliance, sustainability and health-related measurement through impact ledgers and insight hubs.