Gartner today published a new technology forecast stating that artificial intelligence agents are expected to outnumber human sales representatives by a ratio of 10 to 1 by 2028. According to the company, rapid advances in generative AI and autonomous software are accelerating the adoption of AI-powered sales assistants across industries.
Despite this rapid growth, Gartner estimates that fewer than 40% of sellers will report improved productivity from AI agents unless organisations modernise their underlying systems. The company says many businesses risk creating "AI agent sprawl" by deploying multiple AI tools without integrating them into high-quality data platforms and well-designed workflows.
Gartner recommends that organisations focus on building strong data foundations, simplifying automation processes and improving user experience before scaling AI agent deployments. Without these measures, businesses may struggle to realise the expected return on their AI investments.
The announcement highlights the growing influence of AI in enterprise technology and signals that companies worldwide are expected to increasingly rely on autonomous digital workers to support sales, customer engagement and business operations over the next few years.
