From 'fear factor' to 'cognitive fatigue': KPMG principal on the quarter when everyone started thinking about AI differently | Fortune

"AI agent deployment in major U.S. organizations has entered a period of hyper-growth, with workplace culture and management strategies evolving just as rapidly, according to the latest KPMG Q3 2025 AI Quarterly Pulse survey. In just six months, the share of organizations with deployed artificial intelligence (AI) agents quadrupled from 11% to 42%, according to the survey of 130 U.S.-based C-suite and business leaders representing organizations with annual revenue of $1 billion or more."

"The "fear factor" was gone as more people actually worked with these tools, she said, and in its place a "cognitive fatigue" emerged. Echoing this sentiment, the KPMG report highlights a dramatic drop in employee resistance-from 47% last quarter to just 21% now. Over half of the workforce now either accepts or actively embraces AI agents. Technology departments lead the charge, with 95% reporting agent usage for productivity gains, followed closely by operations and risk management."

"Shears said C-suite leaders are telling her that as more and more workers have engaged with the technology, either through enterprise tools or participating in a proof of concept by their organization, "they can see where it's an enabler." But based on its maturity, it isn't in a place where it can entirely replace human workers. There needs to be "a human in the loop or a human on the loop.""

AI agent deployment among major U.S. organizations accelerated rapidly, rising from 11% to 42% within six months. Employee resistance declined sharply from 47% to 21%, with over half of the workforce now accepting or embracing AI agents. Technology departments report the highest usage, with 95% citing productivity gains, followed by operations and risk management. Workers experienced a shift from fear to "cognitive fatigue" as hands-on use increased. C-suite leaders observe that agents enable work but are not mature enough to replace humans, necessitating human-in-the-loop or human-on-the-loop oversight.

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