Why 84% of Leaders See AI Agents as Productivity Partners, Not Replacements
New survey data from Creatio on the state of AI agents and no-code just dropped, and the results are clear: AI-driven automation and no-code platforms are no longer side projects—they’re becoming the backbone of modern business strategy.
With insights from hundreds of business leaders across industries, the recent report from Creatio shows that enterprises are rapidly shifting from experimentation to execution. The message is consistent: AI agents and no-code are transforming how companies operate, how people work, and how innovation happens.
Let’s break down the three big themes shaping this shift—and what they mean for the future of work.
1. AI Agents Are a Boardroom Priority, Not an IT Experiment
The report makes one thing crystal clear: AI agents have leapt from tactical pilots to strategic boardroom discussions. Nearly half of executives say AI agents are already a board-level topic, with another 38% expecting that shift within the next year.
This aligns with what we’ve been seeing at Xano. Companies are no longer satisfied with siloed automation experiments. Instead, they’re asking bigger questions:
- How do AI agents reimagine business models?
- How do they unlock new revenue streams?
- How do they create competitive advantage that compounds over time?
It’s not about shaving minutes off tasks—it’s about reshaping operating models from the ground up. For leaders thinking about this transition, our Agent-Readiness Checklist for CTOs and App Leaders provides a practical starting point.
2. Reimagining Human Effort, Not Replacing It
Perhaps the most refreshing finding is that 84% of leaders don’t see AI agents as a way to reduce headcount. Instead, they view agents as “digital teammates” augmenting human creativity, empathy, and strategy.
This shift matters. Businesses are prioritizing AI deployment in sales, marketing, service, and customer success because these are the very functions where human connection drives outcomes. AI agents, when thoughtfully designed, allow teams to focus on what only humans can do: building trust, solving complex problems, and driving innovation.
At Xano, we’ve always believed that automation should feel like augmentation. And as Prakash Chandran explains in “Choosing the Right Tool: Agent vs. Automation”, understanding this distinction is critical for leaders shaping their AI strategy.
3. No-Code + AI: Abstracting Complexity for Everyone
The third theme resonates deeply with our mission: no-code powered by AI is becoming the fastest way to scale innovation.
According to the report, 67% of organizations are already using low-code/no-code platforms enterprise-wide or in departments. And 59% of C-level leaders are confident about using no-code to build AI-enabled solutions within the next 18 months.
What’s driving this surge? No-code tools remove the technical bottlenecks that slow down adoption. They let business users express intent directly, while AI handles complexity behind the scenes. The result: faster workflows, seamless governance, and a democratization of innovation that ensures every team—not just IT—can shape the AI-powered enterprise.
This is exactly why Xano exists: to give teams without deep engineering resources the ability to build, iterate, and scale with speed. If you want to see what this looks like in practice, check out:
The Bigger Picture: Toward the AI + No-Code Economy
The most important takeaway from this report is philosophical, not just technical. AI agents + no-code aren’t about replacing humans—they’re about redefining what humans can achieve.
As the report authors put it, the future of work will be less about narrow specialization and more about becoming generalists and strategists. People will direct AI, not compete with it. Workflows will adapt to users, not the other way around. And organizations that embrace this shift today will set the pace for tomorrow’s AI economy.
But doing this requires the right infrastructure. Traditional APIs often weren’t designed for agentic workflows, which is why we’re introducing a new standard: Why REST APIs Aren’t Built for Agentic Workflows (Introducing MCP).
Final Thoughts
At Xano, we see this as a call to action. If 2024 was the year businesses experimented with AI and no-code, then 2025 is the year those experiments go mainstream.
The winners won’t be those who simply deploy AI agents or buy no-code tools—they’ll be the ones who integrate them into strategy, empower their people, and reimagine what’s possible.
That’s the mission we’re here to support. If you’d like to keep exploring how these shifts will shape the next era of work, subscribe to our Futureproof newsletter for ongoing insights—or see how Xano can help your team today.