Agentic AI systems are the next network users: 40% of enterprise apps to include agents by 2026
seankinneyRCR · x · 2026-09-17
RCR Wireless analyst Sean Kinney published a research note, with commentary from AT&T, Cisco and Qualcomm, arguing that agentic AI is disrupting the long-standing abstraction of humans using applications that use networks. Agents reason, invoke tools, call models, access databases and talk to other agents — making them consumers of the network itself, not just another traffic source.
Key points:
- Gartner projects 40% of enterprise applications will include task-specific AI agents by end of 2026, up from under 5% in 2025
- Agents are moving beyond assisting humans to completing end-to-end tasks across enterprise systems
- Core thesis: "people click but agents swarm" — networks must evolve from connecting applications to infrastructure machines can discover, provision, secure and consume
- Qualcomm's Kedar Kondap linked this agentic architecture to the smartphone's evolution at Mobile Future Forward
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