BERLIN/SAN FRANCISCO, September 9, 2026 – A groundbreaking new research report from Camunda, a leading enterprise platform for agentic orchestration, has unveiled a critical and costly flaw hindering the widespread success of Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives across industries. The report, titled "The AI Process Gap," reveals that a staggering 72% of organizations have experienced AI initiatives faltering due to fundamental issues within their existing business processes. These failures are not merely theoretical setbacks; they translate into significant financial losses, with an average cost of $1.55 million per business.
The findings paint a stark picture of the challenges faced by companies as they race to integrate AI into their operations. A significant majority, 72%, also foresee AI costs escalating uncontrollably unless they gain a more robust grip on their underlying business processes. This sentiment is further amplified by the alarming statistic that 82% of organizations believe their substantial AI investments will ultimately prove to be a waste without a commensurate increase in focus on process re-design and optimization.
The Temptation of Retrofitting: A Costly Shortcut
A core issue identified by the report is the prevalent tendency for organizations to attempt to "bolt on" AI capabilities to existing business processes that were never conceived with AI in mind. This approach contrasts sharply with a more strategic, outcome-centric methodology that would involve re-designing processes from the ground up to fully leverage AI’s potential.
The preference for retrofitting AI onto outdated processes is largely driven by internal inertia. The report indicates that 79% of organizations state that simply adding AI to current workflows encounters less internal resistance. This pragmatic, albeit short-sighted, decision is often made in conjunction with the understanding that a complete overhaul of critical business processes to accommodate AI could be a protracted undertaking. Indeed, 82% of respondents estimate that adapting their most vital processes for AI integration could take up to five years.
Kurt Petersen, SVP Customer Success at Camunda, elaborated on this phenomenon. "Organizations are rapidly adopting AI, but they are applying it to processes designed for a world before AI, then wondering why the return on investment falls short," Petersen stated. "Almost two-thirds (61%) of respondents say business process re-design simply can’t keep pace with how fast they need to move on AI. So it’s no surprise that under pressure to operationalize AI quickly, most organizations reach for the quick fix of bolting AI onto processes that were never built for it."
This "quick fix" approach, while seemingly expedient, sets the stage for a cascade of problems, including financial inefficiencies, operational friction, and an inability to achieve the transformative benefits promised by AI.
Escalating Governance and Compliance Risks
Beyond the direct financial impact and operational inefficiencies, the report highlights a growing exposure to governance and compliance failures directly attributable to poorly designed or outdated business processes when AI is introduced. Legacy systems and inadequately structured workflows are proving to be fertile ground for AI-related compliance breaches.
The disconnect between the rapid advancement of AI technology and the slower pace of internal process adaptation creates a critical vulnerability. Companies are increasingly aware of the risks associated with AI operating outside its intended parameters, particularly in light of recent high-profile incidents involving AI agents exhibiting unexpected autonomous behavior. However, this awareness has not always translated into decisive action.
"Recognizing the risk has not translated into action," Petersen noted. "Compliance concerns are also slowing the re-design work that could reduce exposure, with fears of AI operating outside its intended boundaries making organizations reluctant to change the processes it supports. Those concerns are not unfounded, particularly given recent incidents of AI agents acting alone, but innovation is moving too quickly for organizations to stand still."
The reluctance to overhaul processes due to compliance fears, while understandable, creates a catch-22. By failing to redesign processes, organizations remain exposed to the very risks they are trying to mitigate, potentially leading to more significant regulatory penalties and reputational damage down the line. The rapid evolution of AI necessitates a proactive approach to governance, not a reactive one driven by fear.
The Widening Leadership-Employee Disconnect
The report also sheds light on a significant disparity in perception between organizational leadership and frontline employees regarding the impact of AI integration. While 89% of organizations claim that AI is enhancing their teams’ productivity, a considerably lower 64% of employees share this optimistic view. This gap suggests that the perceived benefits of AI are not consistently materializing at the ground level.
Many employees find themselves bearing the brunt of the friction created by AI being shoehorned into ill-suited processes. They are often left to navigate workarounds and compensate for the inefficiencies introduced by AI tools that were intended to simplify their tasks. This can lead to frustration, disengagement, and a diminished sense of job satisfaction.
The consequences of this disconnect are tangible. The report reveals that nearly half (48%) of organizations have had to scale back their use of AI precisely because it negatively impacted employees’ ability to perform their jobs effectively. Furthermore, the integration of poorly implemented AI is a significant factor driving employee retention concerns, with 46% of employees indicating they would consider seeking new employment due to such issues.
Petersen emphasized this critical point: "Employees aren’t rejecting AI, but they are rarely fully involved in decisions about how it will be used in their work. This can leave employees being pushed to use tools that don’t help them, creating a culture where AI is adopted to satisfy a corporate mandate rather than help employees do more of what actually matters. The bottom line is that processes designed before the AI era cannot support the technology effectively without being re-engineered, no matter how much is spent on agents and models."
This highlights a fundamental misunderstanding of how to foster successful AI adoption. True value is unlocked when AI is integrated in a way that empowers employees and enhances their capabilities, rather than creating additional burdens or being perceived as an arbitrary technological imposition.
Background and Methodology
The findings of "The AI Process Gap" report are based on two comprehensive surveys conducted by Sapio Research, commissioned by Camunda. The first survey targeted 1,000 process decision-makers across the United States (500), the United Kingdom (250), Germany (125), and France (125). These participants comprised senior leaders in IT, operations, and transformation roles, all involved in the strategy and execution of automation and AI initiatives within organizations employing at least 1,000 individuals.
The second survey encompassed 5,000 employees from the same geographical regions and company size criteria (2,000 from the US, 1,000 from the UK, 1,000 from Germany, and 1,000 from France). These employees were selected based on their day-to-day work having been impacted by the introduction of AI or automation. Both surveys were administered online during July and August of 2026, providing a timely snapshot of the current landscape of AI adoption and its associated challenges.
Camunda’s Vision: Agentic Orchestration for the AI Era
Camunda positions itself as a solution provider addressing the very challenges illuminated by its report. The company offers an enterprise platform for "agentic orchestration," designed to enable organizations to effectively coordinate AI agents, human teams, and existing systems across complex, end-to-end business processes.
The platform emphasizes built-in governance, auditability, and mechanisms for human oversight. This approach aims to provide enterprises with the necessary control to move AI initiatives from pilot phases into full-scale production safely and efficiently. Camunda’s client base includes over 700 organizations globally, including a significant portion of top-tier U.S. banks, underscoring the platform’s perceived relevance in addressing critical business challenges.
By facilitating the coordination of disparate AI agents, people, and systems, Camunda’s platform seeks to streamline workflows, enhance operational efficiency, accelerate the realization of business value from AI investments, and ultimately improve customer experiences. The company’s focus on orchestrated AI acknowledges that the true power of artificial intelligence lies not just in the intelligence of individual agents, but in their seamless integration and coordinated action within robust, well-defined business processes.
Broader Implications for the Future of Work
The findings of "The AI Process Gap" report carry significant implications for the future of business operations and workforce management. The current trajectory suggests a potential for widespread AI adoption to exacerbate existing inefficiencies and create new operational bottlenecks if not managed strategically.
Organizations that fail to address the foundational issues within their business processes risk not only financial underperformance but also alienating their workforce, potentially leading to increased employee turnover and a decline in morale. This could hinder their ability to attract and retain talent in an increasingly competitive market.
Furthermore, the report’s emphasis on governance and compliance risks serves as a critical warning. As AI becomes more sophisticated and autonomous, the need for robust frameworks to ensure ethical and legal compliance will become paramount. Organizations that neglect process re-design in favor of rapid AI deployment may find themselves ill-equipped to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape.
The path forward, as suggested by Camunda’s research and its platform offering, involves a fundamental shift in how organizations approach AI integration. Instead of viewing AI as a standalone technology to be added onto existing structures, it must be seen as a catalyst for process transformation. This requires a commitment to re-engineering workflows, prioritizing employee involvement, and establishing clear governance mechanisms. Only then can businesses hope to unlock the full, transformative potential of AI and avoid the costly pitfalls of the "AI Process Gap."
About the Report
The research report, "The AI Process Gap," was commissioned by Camunda and conducted by Sapio Research. It involved two distinct surveys designed to capture perspectives from both decision-makers and frontline employees. The first survey engaged 1,000 process decision-makers (500 in the US, 250 in the UK, 125 in Germany, and 125 in France). These respondents were senior leaders in IT, operations, and transformation roles, responsible for automation and AI strategy and execution in organizations with a minimum of 1,000 employees. The second survey included 5,000 employees (2,000 in the US, 1,000 in the UK, 1,000 in Germany, and 1,000 in France) whose daily work has been affected by the introduction of AI or automation in similarly sized organizations. Both surveys were conducted online in July and August 2026.
About Camunda
Camunda is recognized as the enterprise platform for agentic orchestration. It empowers organizations to effectively coordinate AI agents, human personnel, and various systems across intricate, end-to-end business processes. The platform is engineered with built-in governance, auditability, and human oversight capabilities, providing enterprises with the necessary control to deploy AI from pilot stages to full-scale production securely and at scale. With a global client base exceeding 700 organizations, including nine of the top ten U.S. banks, Camunda assists enterprises in enhancing operational efficiency, accelerating time-to-value, and delivering superior customer experiences. Further information is available at camunda.com.
