Arizona Tribune - IDC Highlights New AI Research at Directions 2026 on Economic Impact, Agentic Buyers and the Rise of AI Agents

BOSTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / April 9, 2026 / International Data Corporation (IDC) today shared key research insights unveiled at Directions, its flagship client event, outlining how artificial intelligence is reshaping the global economy, transforming enterprise decision-making, and redefining how organizations build, buy, and deploy technology.

The research highlighted at Directions focused on five areas: the economic impact of AI, the rise of the agentic buyer lifecycle, the expansion of the AI model landscape beyond LLMs, new frameworks for measuring AI business value, and the emergence of AI agents as a new application model reshaping enterprise software and services.

Together, these trends signal an AI supercycle defined by two phases: infrastructure buildout and enterprise adoption.

"We are entering the strongest technology spending cycle in nearly 30 years, driven by AI and the rise of agents," said Meredith Whalen, Chief Product & Research Officer at IDC. "But this is not just a buildout story. The real value comes from adoption, and most enterprises are still in the early stages of that shift. The market reaches an inflection point closer to the end of the decade, as AI becomes embedded into how work actually gets done."

AI Economic Impact: Trillions in Value Ahead

IDC forecasts that AI will generate $22.5 trillion in cumulative global economic value by 2031, driven by productivity gains, new revenue models, and business transformation.

However, the timeline remains uncertain. Near-term value depends on how quickly organizations move from experimentation to operational deployment, with workforce transformation, upskilling, and AI agents playing a central role.

IDC also highlighted that while the war in the Middle East will stress test the economy via energy volatility, infrastructure resiliency, and supply chain, it will not disrupt the trajectory of the market.

The Agentic Buyer Lifecycle: AI Reshapes How Decisions are Made

IDC research shows buying processes are shifting from human-led journeys to AI-mediated decision systems, where agents shape discovery, evaluation, and selection.

This shift is driving:

• Zero-click, agent-driven discovery

• Reduced brand control over customer relationships

• Increased importance of structured data and agent visibility (AEO)

Beyond LLMs: A Multi-Model, Multi-Agent Future

IDC introduced new research showing that enterprise AI is rapidly evolving beyond general-purpose models into a multi-model, multimodal, and multi-agent landscape. This shift marks the end of the "one model fits all" approach and introduces a new layer of complexity in how enterprises design, govern, and optimize AI systems.

Organizations are adopting "model choice" strategies and must now manage increased complexity in model selection, governance, and orchestration.

Agents as Apps: A Reset of the Enterprise Software Model

IDC also introduced new research, "Agents as Apps: The Rise of Agents - A Vendor Business Model Reset," which examines how AI agents are redefining enterprise software and services.

The research finds that AI agents are shifting the application model from tools that require user interaction to systems that execute outcomes autonomously at scale. In this model, competitive advantage moves away from user interfaces and toward agents that can reliably deliver results with trust, performance, and economic efficiency.

IDC's research outlines 10 critical moves that enterprise software vendors and service providers must take to remain competitive in the agentic era, warning that without immediate strategic adaptation, organizations may face stagnation or decline.

Measuring What Matters: From AI ROI to Business Value

IDC introduced its Agentic Business Value Maximization Framework to help organizations measure and scale AI impact.

With 42% of organizations struggling to assess AI ROI, the framework emphasizes strategy, use-case prioritization, value mapping, and continuous optimization to move from experimentation to measurable outcomes.

Expanding Data and Research to Track the AI Economy

At Directions 2026, IDC also announced a series of new data products and syndicated research programs designed to help organizations track and navigate the rapidly evolving AI market.

These include:

• Robotics data products tracking market share across emerging categories from commercial cleaning and delivery robots to humanoid systems

• AI infrastructure trackers covering the buildout of AI capacity, including semiconductors, data centers, and sovereign AI environments

• New syndicated research programs focused on critical growth areas such as satellite technologies and agentic AI platforms

These offerings are designed to provide organizations with greater visibility into the technologies, markets, and competitive dynamics shaping the AI economy.

From Experimentation to Execution

IDC emphasized that while AI investment is accelerating, most enterprise adoption remains early and uneven.

The inflection point is expected by 2029, when AI shifts from training to inference at scale and agent deployments reach the billions, embedding AI into enterprise operations. IDC also emphasized that the rise of AI agents and agent-driven systems will accelerate this transition, reshaping how applications are built, deployed, and monetized across the enterprise.

"The next phase of the AI market will be defined by execution," Whalen added. "The opportunity is clear, but execution is now the constraint."

About IDC

International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of trusted technology intelligence, advisory services, and events. With more than 1,000 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology, IT benchmarking and sourcing, and industry opportunities and trends in over 100 countries. IDC's analysis and insights help IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on X at @IDC and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the IDC Blog for industry news and insights.

All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

CONTACT:
IDC | Kiní Schoop | [email protected]
Escalate PR for IDC | [email protected]

SOURCE: IDC

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Ch.Campbell--AT