# Enterprise AI: Playing Catch-Up with Their Own Agents > Source: > Published: 2026-07-12 20:54:37+00:00 # Enterprise AI: Playing Catch-Up with Their Own Agents Enterprises are backtracking to control AI agents they deployed too soon. With 54% facing security issues, the industry is in a scramble for stability. Enterprises are racing to bolt down AI agents they've unleashed into the wild. They knew they were jumping the gun. Now, they're left retrofitting controls to rein in what they've set free. VentureBeat's June survey of 573 tech leaders shows that companies are scrambling to manage the AI chaos they knowingly created. ## Playing Catch-Up JUST IN: Enterprises plan big vendor shifts within the next 12 months. Over half are ready to overhaul five key control layers, from identity management to orchestration. And just like that, the leaderboard shifts. But what forced their hand? A whopping 54% faced security incidents with agents in the past year. It's like handing your car keys to a teenager and hoping for the best. We see a mad dash to cover agent spend. With 27% of companies only realizing costs when the bill hits their desk, it's clear they're flying blind. It's a wild west out there, folks. ## Underused Hardware In a twist of irony, 86% of [GPU](/glossary/gpu) operators report using less than half their capacity. The expensive hardware sits there, idle, like a sports car stuck in traffic. This isn't just a tech problem. It's a classic case of over-enthusiasm meeting under-preparation. Meanwhile, enterprises eye alternatives: 32% are considering non-[Nvidia](/glossary/nvidia) accelerators. It's a hedge against a single player's dominance. Yet, less than 2% currently use AI-specialized clouds. Are they all bark and no bite? ## Behind the Label A massive gap between perception and reality: 71% of companies admit their 'agents' are just chatbots in disguise. The hype train is running at full speed, yet the majority aren't even close to deploying true AI agents. Gartner predicts a shift by 2026, but will enterprises keep pace, or is this agentwashing just smoke and mirrors? ## Agent Security Lapse The figures are shocking: 69% of firms allow agent credential sharing, leading to a 63.5% rate of security hiccups. The fix is simple: unique credentials per agent. But will enterprises act before another breach headlines? ## Budget Window Opens Enterprises are on a buying spree, with 57% to 64% planning vendor changes across control layers in the next year. No incumbents dominate, and the stakes are high. The default reliance on built-in tools from giants like [OpenAI](/glossary/openai) and Microsoft will be tested. Who will emerge as the true leaders in this AI frontier? These shifts matter. As enterprises grapple with their AI deployments, the coming months will be key. Will they control their AI agents, or will the agents control them? Get AI news in your inbox Daily digest of what matters in AI.