Cycode released compelling new research from RSA Conference 2025 that exposes significant insight into the future of application security. While 60% of professionals are still in the early stages of adopting agentic AI, the study clearly demonstrates that those who have embraced it are realizing substantial gains in developer and security team productivity, directly translating to more effective and efficient security practices that ultimately help reduce risk. 

With nearly 50% planning to embrace agentic AI in the coming year, the survey uncovers a significant untapped market in AI-native application security. While many readily embrace AI for productivity gains and time savings, granting AI systems autonomous decision-making authority represents a significant leap for some organizations in the initial stages of AI adoption. This gradual adoption rate stems from a cautious approach, which is understandable, as organizations seek innovative solutions to adapt to the rapid and complex demands of modern development ecosystems. 

Despite the current adoption rates of agentic AI, awareness of its potential benefits for application security is growing, highlighting the importance of market education about the advantages and risks of agentic AI to overcome reluctance. 

The survey revealed that 30% of respondents believe integrating agentic AI into CI/CD pipelines will significantly enhance the application development process. This aligns with the idea that AI can accelerate development and streamline workflows more efficiently, transforming application security in the era of 10X developer output. For example, with the rise in "vibe coding," developers are shipping more code, faster and more frequently. While this doesn't change the AppSec-to-developer ratio, it can create the perception that the ratio is widening, leaving security teams struggling to keep pace. Although 45% of respondents have a 1:50 to 1:100 ratio, 26% indicated a 1:500 to 1:1000 ratio, showcasing an increase in the gap between application security and development resources. This situation creates immense pressure on that lone defender, which could be alleviated with the right agentic AI-powered security tools. 

The survey also found that when it comes to agentic AI:

• 44% of survey respondents believe that agentic AI's capabilities will help teams with identification, prioritization and remediation of vulnerabilities.
• 38% of cybersecurity professionals believe it can enhance application security testing (AST), showcasing the importance of intelligent AI-human partnerships in improving security to streamline the identification, prioritization, and remediation processes.
• More than half (52%) of respondents agree that when integrated with AST tools, agentic AI's pre-commit hooks effectively maintain security checks during code commits. This demonstrates how AI, when applied appropriately, can help security teams manage overwhelming tasks by transforming them into manageable, automated processes.
• 44% of cybersecurity experts believe that its ability to streamline and improve secrets detection will be crucial in preventing data leaks, emphasizing that the most effective agentic AI-driven security solutions are those with contextual awareness for making informed decisions. 

"It's fascinating to follow the industry's measured, yet rapid adoption to Agentic AI. Many interpretations and modalities of 'agent' exist, from simple chatbots to complex workflow automations to true autonomous agents," says Amir Kazemi, Director of Product Marketing at Cycode. "Our data underscores that educating the market on what agentic AI truly is, why it matters for AppSec, and its tangible value is paramount right now. Cycode is committed to leading this charge, empowering security teams and developers the ability to sense, reason, and act with context through agentic AI solutions." 

As adoption accelerates, Cycode remains at the forefront, helping organizations navigate this shift with an AI-Native Security Platform that strikes the right balance between innovation and oversight. Cycode's agentic AI framework recently introduced autonomous AI Teammates that empower developers and security teams. Cycode redefines secure software development and elevates modern security practices by fostering seamless collaboration and enabling real-time, context-aware remediation.