“Blowing things up”: The one move vendors got wrong on AI agents

Enterprise software vendors are now acknowledging that AI agents depend entirely on the quality and structure of the underlying data, not just the agent technology itself. Many vendors initially focused on building flashy agent capabilities while neglecting the foundational data integration and governance required for agents to function effectively. This misstep has forced a industry-wide recalibration, as companies realize that without clean, accessible data, AI agents cannot deliver on their promised automation and decision-making benefits.