S&P Global Report Charts Enterprise Race to Build AI Agent-Ready Infrastructure

Core Insights - The report by S&P Global highlights that 58% of enterprises are actively pursuing agent capabilities, indicating a significant shift towards agentic AI in enterprise technology strategies [3][4][7] - Agentic AI represents a transition from traditional chat-based interactions to autonomous systems that can initiate actions independently, leading to increased infrastructure demands and new security considerations [2][7] Infrastructure Strain - Agentic systems require significantly more IT capacity than chat-based systems, as they can launch multiple prompts and cascade into other agents without human intervention [7] - The demand for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) is projected to increase by over 500% from original 2023 estimates for the 2025-2026 timeframe due to this shift [3] Data Management Evolution - The implementation of agentic AI necessitates a more sophisticated approach to data management, including enhanced data provenance, quality assessment, and context engineering [7] Security Complexities - New non-human identity frameworks are required for agentic systems, moving beyond traditional user authorization policies to address the complexities introduced by autonomous agents [7] Sustainability Concerns - The resource-intensive nature of agentic operations is expected to drive increased demand for AI-related data centers, raising sustainability challenges [7]