AI Agents Are No Longer Just Hype—They’re Transforming Business in 2025

For years, AI agents have been more of a promise than a reality. But that’s changing in 2025. According to Salesforce, AI agents are finally becoming a tangible force in enterprise operations. A new survey from MuleSoft reveals that 93% of enterprise IT leaders have already implemented or plan to implement AI agents within the next two years.

Despite this momentum, enterprises still face hurdles in deploying AI effectively. For example, 29% missed their delivery goals in 2024, and 80% cite data integration as a major challenge.

“Integration challenges hinder companies from fully realizing the technology’s potential to create a limitless digital workforce,” said Andrew Comstock, SVP and GM of MuleSoft. “AI agents depend on connected data to understand context and execute tasks effectively.”

AI Agents Are Taking Shape—But Integration Remains a Challenge

Salesforce’s 10th annual MuleSoft Connectivity Benchmark Report, which surveyed 1,050 enterprise IT leaders, underscores the complexity of modern IT environments:

• Organizations use an average of 897 applications, but only 29% are integrated.
• The number of AI models in use has doubled—from 9 in 2024 to 18 in 2025.
• Enterprises that have adopted AI agents deploy 22 AI models on average, compared to 15 for those without AI agents.
• 95% of IT leaders struggle with data integration.

Poor integration directly impacts AI agent accuracy and usefulness. AI agents must pull both structured and unstructured data from diverse sources—ERP, CRM, HCM platforms, emails, PDFs, Slack, and more—to make informed decisions.

The Power of APIs in AI Agent Deployment

APIs are proving critical in enabling AI agents to function effectively. IT leaders see them as essential for:

✅ Improving IT infrastructure
✅ Sharing data across teams
✅ Integrating disconnected systems

By leveraging APIs, AI agents interact with existing automations and systems instead of requiring enterprises to rebuild workflows from scratch.

“With correct integration and APIs, enterprises won’t have to refit everything for the AI world,” Comstock explained.

IT Teams Are Overwhelmed—AI Can Help Close the Gap

The report also reveals a growing demand for IT resources:

• IT projects are expected to increase by 18% in 2025.
• Enterprises plan to spend an average of $16.9 million on IT staff this year—more than double the 2023 figure.
• Despite these investments, 40% of IT teams’ time is spent on building and testing integrations.

“That’s an incredibly high percentage of time spent on cumbersome work,” said Comstock. “AI agents can close the IT delivery gap.”

AI’s Impact on Developer Productivity and the Future of “Super Agents”

IT leaders are optimistic about AI’s potential, with 93% believing AI will boost developer productivity over the next three years.

Beyond simple AI agents, “super agents” are on the horizon. Unlike traditional AI agents that execute single commands, super agents pursue goals and handle complex, multi-step tasks.

“A digital labor workforce can act autonomously, carrying out both simple and complex tasks to drive productivity and efficiency,” Comstock noted.

How Enterprises Are Using AI Agents Today

AI agents are already proving their value in industries ranging from financial services to talent acquisition.

PenFed Credit Union: AI-Powered Customer Support

PenFed Credit Union, the third-largest federal credit union in the U.S., implemented live chat and AI-powered chatbots built on Agentforce in just eight weeks—with only one engineer.

By integrating data through MuleSoft, PenFed’s service agents now have a 360-degree view of member interactions, resulting in:

• 20% of customer cases resolved on first contact
• 223% increase in chatbot and live chat activity in the past year
• 31% growth in membership

“Members get the support they need faster, without repeating themselves,” Comstock explained.

Adecco: AI-Driven Hiring Automation

Adecco, a global staffing company processing 300 million job applications annually, faced a challenge: recruiters could only respond to a fraction of candidates.

With Agentforce, MuleSoft, and Salesforce Data Cloud, Adecco is now automating hiring workflows:

✅ AI autonomously sorts resumes and generates candidate shortlists.
✅ AI notifies candidates who weren’t selected and suggests alternative roles.
✅ AI identifies the best job boards for listings, eliminating manual posting.

“The goal is to respond to 100% of applicants, improving both recruiter efficiency and candidate experience,” said Comstock.

The AI Adoption Feedback Loop

As enterprises deploy AI agents, their effectiveness improves over time. AI models continuously refine themselves, making each new iteration more intelligent and efficient.

“The best companies will embrace this cycle, gaining a major competitive edge,” said Comstock.

AI Agents Aren’t Replacing Humans—They’re Augmenting Them

Despite fears of job displacement, Comstock sees AI agents as enhancements, not replacements. They free employees from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-value work.

“This is where AI becomes real,” said Comstock. “Enterprises are moving beyond theory—AI agents are already delivering measurable business impact.”