Economics of Agentic AI – Demystifying the Fog around ROI 

Agentic AI, systems that autonomously initiate, execute, and adapt multistep tasks, is rapidly gaining momentum across industries. Unlike earlier AI approaches that relied on narrowly scoped models within fixed workflows, agentic AI blends reasoning, orchestration, and goal-directed execution. This makes it well-suited to deliver transformational outcomes, from accelerating automation to improving decision quality and unlocking entirely new digital capabilities.

Despite growing enthusiasm, many organizations struggle to chart a clear path from pilots to scaled value. Proofs of concept often showcase impressive demos, yet leaders are left asking what RoI truly looks like. Just as importantly, enterprises are struggling to plan for the full cost stack, including process redesign, change management, and potential failure modes. Without a clear approach, business cases can be fragile, and investments misaligned.

This report seeks to cut through that uncertainty. Drawing on Everest Group’s experience and enterprise case data, it examines the economics of agentic AI in practice, highlighting cost structures, RoI profiles, and payback timelines. It also provides pragmatic guidance for CIOs and technology leaders on budgeting, measuring, and scaling adoption. By demystifying RoI, the report aims to help executives move beyond hype and build a financially grounded roadmap for deploying agentic AI at scale.