How Long Does It Take to Set Up an AI Agent?
Timelines from same-day sandbox to 6-week production: what drives speed and what always takes longer than vendors promise.
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Direct answer
Sandbox demo: hours. Pilot on real data with Ask: 1–3 weeks. Production role with evals and SSO: 4–8 weeks. Multi-role portfolio: 3–6 months.
Key points
- Fast when procedure is written and connectors exist
- Slow when legal, SSO, and data residency are new
- Never skip acceptance tests — they define “done”
Typical timeline
| Phase | Duration |
|---|---|
| Scope one queue | 2–5 days |
| Connectors + sandbox | 1–2 weeks |
| Ask workflow + eval set | 1–2 weeks |
| Production hardening | 2–4 weeks |
Pattern Automation targets one verifiable outcome in 2–4 weeks for mid-market pilots.
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