The ongoing rush of developments in artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how brands and customers interact across every step of the journey from product discovery to purchase. As people increasingly experiment with AI-powered tools and services in their everyday lives, organizations are racing to understand how generative and agentic AI can meaningfully improve experiences and strengthen business performance. And in a market this fluid, organizations are grappling with questions about where to invest, how quickly to scale, and what now defines a competitive customer experience (CX).

Our global survey of 3,000 executives and practitioners in CX roles, conducted for the Adobe 2026 AI and Digital Trends report and research program, reveals early wins from generative AI and ambitious plans for agentic AI. But it also shows that many organizations lack the foundations needed to turn these ambitions into reality, as data remains fragmented, alignment between executives and day-to-day practitioners is uneven, and enterprise-wide deployment is still rare.

We also surveyed 4,000 customers across major global markets, and their responses point to cautious optimism about AI. But in several areas — especially agentic AI — organizational assumptions do not always align with customer comfort or readiness.