Nearly 88% of enterprises have either implemented or plan to pilot decision intelligence initiatives to transform how decisions are made and executed, according to a new survey by IDC, presented by Aera Technology. In fact, most enterprises surveyed are using AI to support decisions (84%) — either selectively or broadly — and 40% view AI agents as key to accelerating speed, scale, and impact.
“Decision intelligence has become a strategic imperative for organizations navigating increasingly complex and dynamic business environments,” says Megha Kumar, research VP, analytics and AI, IDC. “Enterprises that embrace AI-powered decision intelligence are achieving greater agility, innovation, and competitive advantage. The path forward requires intentional transformation — investing in technologies that unify decision workflows, fostering a culture of trust and data and AI literacy, and redefining human and AI agent collaboration.”
“We’re at a clear inflection point as companies adopt, scale, and choose to run their operations with decision intelligence,” says Fred Laluyaux, co-founder, president, and CEO of Aera Technology. “The technology is proven, customers are scaling it, and the ecosystem is ready. Decision intelligence is rapidly becoming the new operating model for the AI-powered enterprise.”
Key takeaways:
· Organizations are connecting data, analytics, and automation across data acquisition and organization, data analysis, simulation, decision recommendation, decision execution, and continuous learning.
- Nearly nine in 10 enterprises (88%) have either implemented or plan to pilot decision intelligence initiatives to transform how decisions are made and executed. Among leaders, over 70% have deployed decision intelligence in one or more functions.
- More than 80% of organizations (83%) are already on an AI transformation journey, deploying AI selectively or broadly to enhance decision-making speed, quality, and accountability.
- 40% of respondents view AI agents as critical to advancing decision intelligence, signaling a move toward more autonomous, agent-assisted decision-making. Within the next 18–24 months, over 25% expect AI agents to make routine decisions, and nearly 20% expect them to manage most decisions under human oversight.
- More than 40% of enterprises cited rising operational costs and inefficiencies as a primary motivator for adopting decision intelligence — reinforcing its value in improving responsiveness, planning cadence, and resilience.
- Leaders in the study outperformed across all major metrics. Nearly 80% report improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, compared with 61% of organizations where decision-making is less connected and automated.
