New EMA research finds that 82% of IT and security leaders have experienced AI deployment delays due to security or compliance reviews, while organizations are limiting agent capabilities to accelerate adoption

LAFAYETTE, Colo., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Enterprise Management Associates (EMA™), a leading IT research and consulting firm, today announced The State of AI Friction: Delayed, Diminished, and Ungoverned AI, a live webinar examining the security and governance challenges slowing enterprise AI adoption and limiting its potential. The webinar will feature Christopher M. Steffen, VP of Research covering information security, risk, and compliance management at EMA, and James Rice, VP of Product Marketing and Strategy at Protegrity.

In a study conducted for Protegrity, EMA surveyed 152 IT and security leaders and found that 82% have experienced security or compliance reviews delaying AI deployment. Two-thirds of these delays last a month or longer, creating a growing challenge for organizations trying to move AI initiatives from experimentation to production while keeping pace with rapid advances in AI capabilities.

The pressure to deploy AI faster creates a second challenge: organizations may be limiting AI's capabilities or operating agents without adequate safeguards. The study found that 81% have deployed AI agents with tools disabled or autonomy restricted to accelerate production deployment. At the same time, 69% already run agents that write to databases and trigger external APIs, introducing risks that traditional data security controls may not adequately address.

Encryption, data masking, and role-based access remain important safeguards, but organizations must also account for how autonomous agents access data, execute actions, and interact with enterprise systems. As organizations expand their AI initiatives, the gap between agent capabilities and existing security and governance controls becomes increasingly difficult to ignore. With 88% of respondents planning to increase agentic AI budgets by at least 10% next year, addressing this gap will be critical to realizing the value of those investments.

"Security teams aren't trying to slow AI down, but the review processes most organizations rely on weren't built for systems that act on their own. When the choice comes down to waiting months or switching off the capabilities that make agents valuable, nobody wins," said Steffen. "Organizations need security and governance controls that move at the speed of AI, not the speed of a review cycle."

During the webinar, Steffen and Rice will examine the research findings and discuss:

• The business impact of AI delays: How extended security reviews affect deployment timelines and the ability to keep pace with a rapidly evolving AI landscape.
• The hidden cost of constrained AI: Why limiting agent tools and autonomy can undermine the value organizations expect from their AI investments.
• The security gap surrounding AI agents: Where traditional data protection approaches fall short as agents access sensitive information and take actions across enterprise systems.
• A path to secure AI in production: EMA's recommendations for aligning security and governance controls with the capabilities and risks of agentic AI.

The webinar will take place Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern. Registration is available at https://info.enterprisemanagement.com/the-state-of-ai-friction-webinar-pr

About EMA 
Founded in 1996, EMA is a leading IT research and consulting firm dedicated to delivering actionable insights across the evolving technology landscape. Through independent research, market analysis, and vendor evaluations, we empower organizations to make well-informed technology decisions. Our team of analysts combines practical experience with a deep understanding of industry best practices and emerging vendor solutions to help clients achieve their strategic objectives. Learn more about EMA research, analysis, and consulting services at www.enterprisemanagement.com and follow them on X and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Raleigh Gould
Enterprise Management Associates
rgould@enterprisemanagement.com

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SOURCE Enterprise Management Associates