Salesforce’s latest insights reveal a sharp generational split in the appetite for AI agents, with Gen Z embracing autonomous assistants far more readily than many businesses are prepared to support them. As consumers grow accustomed to AI helping manage daily tasks, the gap between demand and delivery widens. The findings indicate a future where AI agents—systems capable of operating with minimal or no human oversight—become a routine feature in everyday life, while enterprises face a challenging sprint to catch up with shifting expectations. This long-form analysis dives into the data, interprets its implications for consumers and companies, and outlines the strategic steps organizations must take to align with a rapidly evolving AI-enabled landscape.
Gen Z Leads AI Agent Adoption
Salesforce’s data paint a clear picture: Generation Z is at the forefront of interest and willingness to deploy AI agents in both personal and professional contexts. A significant majority of younger consumers indicate they would welcome AI agents as part of their daily routines. Specifically, seven in ten Gen Z respondents express a readiness to use AI agents as personal assistants, underscoring a trend toward automated convenience that seamlessly integrates with routine workflows, scheduling, information retrieval, and task management. This momentum does not stop at personal use; two-thirds—roughly 68%—of Gen Z respondents show interest in leveraging AI agents for job search activities. These figures illuminate a broader inclination among younger users to offload repetitive or low-skill tasks to automated systems, freeing time for more strategic or creative pursuits.
In parallel, consumer interest in AI-driven job search assistance signals a potential shift in how work-related tasks are approached. If AI agents can efficiently filter opportunities, tailor applications, and manage follow-ups, younger job seekers may find the process more streamlined and less cumbersome. The data suggest that the adoption ladder begins with day-to-day tasks and extends into professional development, which could alter recruitment pipelines and talent acquisition strategies across industries.
Beyond the realm of employment, the Salesforce study identifies several other domains where AI agents are seen as valuable. Nearly half of American consumers (about 44%) would consider employing an AI agent as a personal assistant, a statistic that reflects broad interest in automation for managing routines, reminders, information synthesis, and decision support. Among Gen Z specifically, that appetite intensifies, with commissions of approximately 70% indicating strong interest in AI agents for personal assistant roles. The appeal here lies in the potential to reduce friction in everyday activities—scheduling, reminders, information retrieval, and transactional support—where AI agents can operate with speed and accuracy that complement human capabilities.
When it comes to scheduling and information accuracy, consumer attitudes are nuanced. Around 39% of the population report feeling comfortable using AI agents to schedule appointments, a level of acceptance that hints at a growing trust in automated coordination. Conversely, roughly a third (about 34%) say they would prefer interacting with a fully automated agent rather than a human when it comes to avoiding repeating information or procedural steps. This preference signals a desire among a sizable portion of users to minimize redundancy and friction, a dynamic that firms should consider when designing self-service channels, chatbots, and digital assistants.
The Salesforce findings also reveal a spectrum of interest that extends into broader lifestyle and wellness areas. For example, 43% of all respondents would be willing to use agents to plan meals and order groceries, with Gen Z leading the way at 61%. In fitness and wellness, engagement with AI agents shows solid momentum: 43% of the overall sample expresses interest in fitness tracking and goal setting within an AI-guided framework, and Gen Z’s enthusiasm climbs to 62%. The data suggest that the appeal of AI agents grows where there is a tangible, daily impact on health, nutrition, and personal well-being, making these domains fertile ground for rapid AI adoption.
In the employment domain, the potential of AI agents to reshape job matching and career development is particularly striking. The study finds that 44% of Americans would use AI agents to assist with job matching, a figure that nearly doubles among Gen Z to about 68%. The appeal of AI in preparing professional documents is also noteworthy: 45% of all participants would consider using AI to draft CVs and cover letters, rising to 65% among Gen Z. These figures collectively signal a potential shift in how job applications are produced and presented, with AI acting as a strategic partner to the applicant rather than merely a tool for mundane tasks.
As the adoption curve tilts toward agentic AI in personal and professional life, a broader narrative emerges: a rising demand for convenient, autonomous support across multiple touchpoints, from shopping and healthcare to recruitment and daily routines. Gen Z’s accelerated interest sets a high baseline for market expectations, which could, in turn, shape product development, customer support models, and enterprise software roadmaps. The implication for businesses is clear: to stay relevant for the next generation of customers and workers, firms must adapt to a world where AI agents are expected to be ubiquitous, capable, and responsive around the clock. The Salesforce data thus paints not merely a snapshot of current attitudes but a forward-looking forecast of how consumer behavior will reshape demand for intelligent automation in the coming years.
Agentic AI and the Expanding Consumer Expectation Landscape
The Salesforce study introduces a critical concept for readers and practitioners to understand: agentic AI. This term refers to autonomous AI systems that can perform tasks and make decisions with minimal or no human oversight. It marks a meaningful shift from traditional AI that primarily augments human input to a model where machines assume greater responsibility for action in real time. As consumers gain familiarity with AI agents’ capabilities, expectations about what these systems can and should do rise correspondingly. The data indicate that when AI agents are aligned with practical benefits—such as booking appointments, performing employment-related tasks, or managing health and wellness routines—consumers are more inclined to adopt and trust these tools.
A consistent theme in the study is the widening gap between what consumers want and what businesses are prepared to offer. The broad willingness to engage with AI agents signals that demand is not a niche or speculative trend but a mainstream shift in consumer behavior. Yet many companies currently lack the readiness to meet that demand with reliable, scalable, and secure AI-powered experiences. The divergence is particularly acute in high-touch sectors such as healthcare, financial services, and complex customer support workflows, where the consequences of misinterpretation or automation failure can be significant. The result is a double imperative: for consumers, accelerate access to capable AI agents that can handle routine decisions and improve convenience; for businesses, invest in governance, risk management, and robust AI architectures that ensure dependable performance and ethical operation.
The study highlights several areas where AI agents are expected to deliver measurable value. Employment searches, healthcare management, and retail transactions stand out as top domains where users see clear benefits from AI-assisted automation. In employment contexts, AI agents promise to streamline job matching, resume optimization, and interview preparation; in healthcare, they could assist with appointment scheduling, medication reminders, and health data tracking; and in retail, they can facilitate self-service ordering, order status updates, and personalized shopping experiences. The implication is that AI agents are not a luxury feature but a core aspect of how people interact with services and products in the near term. Businesses that design and implement agent-powered experiences in these domains will be positioned to meet rising consumer expectations, reduce friction, and drive loyalty across generations—not just among Gen Z but across a broad user base that increasingly values speed, accuracy, and convenience.
From a technology perspective, agentic AI requires robust data governance, interoperability, and scalable infrastructure. As adoption grows, the need for standardized interfaces, secure data handling, and transparent decision-making processes becomes crucial. Consumers want to understand how an AI agent reaches a recommendation or decision, especially when it affects health, finances, or personal information. Companies that invest in explainable AI, user consent mechanisms, and clear accountability frameworks will be better positioned to sustain trust as agents take on more consequential tasks. The Salesforce findings thus not only illustrate current sentiment but also underscore a strategic transition toward a more automated, customer-centric service paradigm where agents function as reliable, first-line facilitators of value across life’s everyday activities.
Enterprise Readiness and Forecasts: The Road to Agentic AI at Scale
Industry analysts are aligning behind a bold forecast: the enterprise software landscape will undergo a fundamental transformation as agentic AI becomes embedded in a growing share of applications. A prominent projection from Gartner suggests that by 2028, roughly one-third of enterprise software applications will include agentic AI capabilities. This represents a dramatic leap from today’s levels and signals a new normal in which autonomous tools play a central role in decision support and process automation. The forecast also anticipates that these systems will handle an estimated 15% of routine business decisions, reflecting a tangible shift in how organizations allocate cognitive labor and streamline operations. The implications for CIOs, CTOs, and business leaders are profound: strategy must incorporate autonomous decision-making capabilities at scale, while governance, risk, and compliance frameworks must evolve to reflect new capabilities and potential failure modes.
Crucially, the forecast implies a looming expectation gap between what consumers assume intelligent automation can do and what many businesses are prepared to deliver. As agentic AI becomes more prevalent in daily life, customers will expect consistent, accurate, and contextually aware interactions across channels and touchpoints. Those enterprises that leadingly invest in agent-based platforms, data infrastructure, and developer ecosystems will be better positioned to meet this heightened standard. Conversely, organizations that delay adoption risk a slower, less competitive stance as consumer preferences shift toward faster, more capable digital assistants. The velocity of this transition demands proactive planning, not reactive deployment.
Within this context, business leaders are urged to consider several strategic levers. First, invest in a unified AI fabric that can orchestrate multiple agents across customer service, sales, marketing, and operations. This includes ensuring robust identity management, access controls, and privacy safeguards to protect sensitive information as agents handle more complex tasks. Second, implement a clear governance model for agent usage, including accountability for automated decisions, auditability of agent actions, and transparent user disclosures where appropriate. Third, prioritize human-in-the-loop capabilities for exceptional or high-risk scenarios, enabling agents to escalate to human specialists when nuance or empathy is required. Finally, cultivate an ecosystem of tools and platforms that support rapid experimentation, continuous learning, and performance monitoring to ensure agents improve over time and adapt to evolving user needs.
Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Evangelist at Salesforce, emphasizes the strategic value of meeting consumer expectations through AI-powered services. He notes that “consumers are ready for AI agents to simplify their lives,” and that delivering these capabilities can strengthen customer service, satisfaction, and loyalty. This perspective reflects a practical business case: when agents deliver tangible benefits—time savings, reduced friction, more accurate information, and faster resolution—customers are more likely to engage, trust, and remain loyal to a brand. For enterprises, the forecast underscores the importance of moving beyond pilot programs and deploying scalable AI agent solutions that can operate continuously and adapt to changing demand patterns. In a market where intelligent automation is increasingly a baseline expectation, speed to value matters as much as sophistication.
As the adoption curve rises, expectations also intensify in areas such as product support, post-purchase engagement, and cross-channel experiences. Organizations must design agent-enabled workflows that minimize context switching, preserve user preferences, and maintain a consistent brand voice across agents and human agents alike. The emergence of agentic AI will also influence how products and services are marketed, priced, and delivered. For example, AI agents can prequalify leads, personalize recommendations, and facilitate seamless purchasing journeys, thereby increasing conversion rates and overall customer lifetime value. The Salesforce and Gartner viewpoints together suggest not just a trend but a profound shift in the way software is conceived, built, and consumed—an evolution toward ambient intelligence that blurs the line between customer service, operations, and product experience.
Case Studies: OpenTable and Secret Escapes Deploy Agentforce
As consumer expectations accelerate, several forward-looking platforms have already begun integrating Salesforce’s Agentforce to deliver around-the-clock, intelligent service experiences. OpenTable and Secret Escapes stand out as compelling examples of how agent-powered capabilities can respond to real-world needs, from travel arrangements to hospitality bookings. These deployments illustrate how AI agents can handle complex customer requests, streamline operations, and reduce the burden on human agents by handling routine inquiries and tasks autonomously.
Secret Escapes, a prominent online travel company, has rolled out Agentforce to manage a broad spectrum of customer interactions. The AI agents are tasked with handling itinerary changes, clarifying itinerary details, performing fee checks, and providing information about travel locations. By automating these routine interactions, the company can offer faster, more convenient self-service options that align with today’s tech-savvy consumer expectations. The goal is not to remove human support entirely but to empower customers to resolve common concerns quickly while freeing human agents to focus on more nuanced or high-stakes issues. In this model, AI agents act as a first line of interaction, triaging inquiries and delivering precise information, while human agents remain available for complex problems that require empathy, judgment, and strategic guidance.
OpenTable’s deployment of Agentforce similarly reflects a strategic shift toward continuous, intelligent service. In the hospitality domain, where experiences hinge on timing and accuracy, AI agents can manage reservation changes, confirm availability, and assist with preferences and special requests. The promise is faster response times, more consistent service, and a more seamless user journey from discovery to booking. In both cases, the objective is to minimize friction in the customer journey and deliver a sense of reliability and immediacy that modern users expect from digital-first brands.
Leadership commentary reinforces the strategic value of this transition. Vala Afshar points out that businesses embracing AI agents can meet rising customer expectations and bolster loyalty and satisfaction. The deployment of Agentforce in hospitality and travel contexts demonstrates a concrete path for other industries seeking to deliver smarter, faster, and always-on support. These case studies underscore a broader trend: companies across sectors are experimenting with agent-based solutions to improve efficiency, enhance customer experiences, and drive competitive differentiation in an increasingly automated landscape. As adoption grows, these early movers provide practical blueprints for integrating AI agents into existing workflows, ensuring alignment with customer expectations while maintaining governance, security, and quality standards.
Applications Across Sectors: Health, Wellness, Employment, and Shopping
The Salesforce study highlights a wide array of use cases where AI agents are poised to transform consumer behavior and business processes. In health and wellness, AI agents are positioned as practical aides in daily life. A notable share of consumers—43% overall—are willing to use agents to plan meals and place grocery orders, with Gen Z leading the charge at 61%. This indicates a robust appetite for AI-driven meal planning, shopping assistance, and nutrition coordination, which could reshape consumer routines and retail relationships. The potential benefits extend to fitness tracking and goal setting as well, with 43% of the overall population interested and 62% of Gen Z expressing interest. The convergence of health data, personalized recommendations, and autonomous scheduling can enable a more proactive approach to wellness, potentially reducing barriers to healthy choices and supporting sustained behavior change.
In employment and professional development, AI agents are expected to play a growing role in talent discovery, application support, and documentation. The study shows that 44% of Americans would use AI agents for job matching, a figure that rises to 68% among Gen Z. This points to a shift in candidate sourcing and outreach, where AI agents can streamline the process of identifying opportunities, aligning qualifications with roles, and accelerating the application process. The interest in drafting CVs and cover letters with AI is also notable: 45% of all participants find this appealing, with 65% of Gen Z expressing preference for AI-assisted resume and cover letter creation. These signals suggest that AI agents could become essential tools for job seekers, helping to present information more effectively and tailor applications to specific roles and employers.
Shopping and consumer transactions are among the domains where AI agents are expected to create measurable value through efficiency gains and more personalized experiences. The broader consumer landscape shows a strong willingness to rely on automated digital purchasing tools, with roughly one-third of respondents favoring automation over direct human interaction in certain purchasing scenarios. The data suggest that AI agents can reduce friction across the shopping journey, from product discovery to checkout, by offering personalized recommendations, price comparisons, and streamlined procurement. For retailers and e-commerce platforms, this implies an opportunity to architect smarter, more responsive experiences that anticipate needs, simplify decision-making, and reduce cart abandonment.
The health-tech, retail, and employment use cases are not isolated; they intersect with broader digital transformation trends. As AI agents gain capabilities in scheduling, information retrieval, and decision-making, they can function as orchestrators across services, coordinating data from disparate systems to deliver coherent, end-to-end experiences. For consumers, this can translate into more predictable interactions and faster responses, while businesses gain the leverage to improve service levels, reduce operational costs, and unlock new revenue streams through value-added AI services. The Salesforce study thus maps a landscape of high-potential opportunities where AI agents can deliver tangible improvements in daily life, career development, and consumer commerce, with Gen Z representing a leading indicator of how rapidly these technologies may be adopted and scaled across industries.
The Road Ahead for Businesses: Strategy, Governance, and Risk
As consumer readiness expands, businesses must translate demand into reliable, scalable AI-powered experiences. The path forward requires a multi-faceted strategy that covers technology, people, processes, and governance. First, firms should invest in scalable AI platforms that can host multiple agents across functions—customer service, sales, marketing, operations, and product development. A unified AI layer enables consistency of experience, reduces silos, and simplifies monitoring and governance. Proactive investments in data quality, integration, and API ecosystems will be essential to ensure agents operate on accurate, up-to-date information, enabling effective decision-making and high-quality interactions with users.
Second, governance and risk management must evolve in step with automation capabilities. As agents take on more responsibility, clear accountability for automated decisions becomes imperative. Organizations should implement transparent workflows that allow for auditing agent actions, tracking decision criteria, and ensuring compliance with privacy and security standards. This includes building explainability features for sensitive decisions, providing users with context about why an agent made a particular recommendation, and establishing escalation paths to human agents when nuance or empathy is required.
Third, privacy, security, and ethical considerations must be woven into the fabric of AI strategy. The growth of autonomous systems handling personal data and potentially sensitive information increases vulnerability to data breaches, biased outcomes, and unintended consequences. Companies should adopt rigorous data governance protocols, minimize data collection to what is strictly necessary, implement robust access controls, and conduct regular bias and risk assessments. In doing so, they can foster trust and reduce regulatory exposure while delivering reliable agent-powered services.
Fourth, workforce planning and change management are critical to successful deployment. The introduction of AI agents can redefine roles and responsibilities, shifting some cognitive labor away from humans. This requires a thoughtful change-management approach that includes reskilling and upskilling initiatives, new role definitions, and clear performance metrics that reflect the value delivered by agents alongside human employees. Leaders should communicate the rationale for automation, demonstrate early wins, and cultivate a culture of continuous learning that enables teams to adapt as agent capabilities evolve.
Fifth, governance models must address reliability and continuity in always-on environments. Agents may be expected to perform around the clock, across time zones, and during peak demand periods. Building fault-tolerant architectures, redundancy, and robust incident response protocols becomes essential to maintain service levels and protect customer trust. As the market moves toward broader adoption, organizations with resilient, well-governed AI ecosystems will gain competitive advantages over slower, less disciplined competitors.
Finally, organizations should plan for long-term adoption that evolves with technology and consumer expectations. Agent-based solutions should be designed to scale, integrate with existing systems, and remain adaptable as new capabilities emerge. The focus should be on delivering measurable outcomes—improved response times, higher satisfaction scores, reduced operational costs, and increased revenue through more efficient interactions. By aligning product roadmaps with customer expectations and building governance that supports ethical, responsible AI use, businesses can position themselves to thrive in an era where intelligent automation is a standard feature of the customer experience.
Conclusion
The Salesforce findings illuminate a decisive shift in how different generations view and adopt AI agents. Gen Z is distinctly more open to embedding autonomous AI in both personal tasks and professional activities, signaling a near-term acceleration in demand for agentic AI-driven experiences. At the same time, enterprise readiness lags behind consumer appetite, creating a pronounced expectation gap that businesses must address to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving landscape. The forecast from industry analysts, coupled with real-world deployments like OpenTable and Secret Escapes leveraging Agentforce, suggests that autonomous, always-on AI agents will become a foundational element of modern customer experiences, operations, and product design.
For organizations, the path forward is clear: build scalable, governance-ready AI platforms; elevate data stewardship and explainability; invest in workforce transformation to harmonize human labor with machine decision-making; and deliver consistent, high-quality experiences that meet rising consumer expectations across health, shopping, employment, and daily life. Those that act decisively—embedding agentic AI into core processes, embracing risk management and ethics, and aligning product strategy with customer needs—will be best positioned to thrive in what is described as a digital labor revolution. As adoption grows, the emphasis will shift from experimentation to execution, with intelligent automation becoming a standard, reliable, and value-adding facet of everyday interactions. The implications for both consumers and businesses are profound: smarter, faster, and always-available support is no longer a future scenario but a current capability that is reshaping how people work, shop, and engage with brands. The organizations that recognize this shift earliest and invest accordingly will enjoy a meaningful competitive advantage as the AI-enabled economy expands.