QuantumBlackAlby McKinseyThe state ofAI in 2025Agents,innovation.andtransformationNovember2025
Almost all survey respondentssay their organizations are usingAl, and many have begun touseAlagents. But most are stillinthe early stages of scaling Al andcapturng enterprise-level valueThisarlicleisacollaborativeffortbyAlexSingla,AlexanderSukharevsky.Lareina Yee, and MichaelChui withBryce Hall and Tara Balakrshnan,representing iews from Quantum Black, Al by McKinsey,Key findingsMostorganizationsare stllintheexperimentationor pilotingphase:Nearly two-thirdsofrespondentssaytheirorganizationshavenotyetbegunscalingAlacrosstheenterpriseHighcuriosityin Alagents:Sixty-twopercentof surveyrespondentssaytheinorganizationsareatleastexperimenting withAlacentshnoindicators onimpact ofAt:Respondents reportuse-case levelcostand revenue benefits, and 64 percent saythat Alisenabling thelirinnovation.However,justHighperfomersuseAltodivegrowth,inovation, and cost:Eightypercentofntssaytheir companiessetefficiency as anobjectiveoftheirAlintiatives, but the companiesseeinathe ost value from Aloften set growth orinnovation asRedesianinaworkflowsisakeysuccessfactor:HalfofthoseAlhighperformersintendtouse Al to transform their businesses, and most are redesigning workflows.Differing perspectives on employment impact:Respondents vary in theirexpectations ofA"simoact on the overal work force sizeof their organizations inthe comingyear32 percent expect decreases,43 percent no change, and 13 percent increases.
上hree years since the introduction of aen Al toolstriaceredanew eraofartificial intelliaence.nearlynineoutof tensurvevrespondentssavtheiroraanizationsare reqularly using Al-but the pace of progressremains uneven. While Al tools are now commonplacemost oraanizations have not vet embedded them deeply enough level benefits. The latest McKinsey Global Survey on the state ofA revealsa landscape defined by both wider use-including growing proliferation of agentic Al-and stubborn growing pains, with thetransition from pilots to scaled impact remaining a work in progresslat mostorganizations.
Al use continues to broaden butremains primarilv in pilot ohasesOur latest surveyshows a larger share of respondents reporting Al use by their organizationsthough most have yet toscale thetechnologies. Tthe share ofrespondentssaying theiorganizations areusing Alin at least one business function hasincreasedsinceourresearchlastyear:88percent reportregular Aluse in atleast one business function, compared with78percentayearago.But at the enterpriselevel, the maiprity are stllin theexperimentingofbegunto scaletheirAlprogramsExhibit1Reported useof Alinatleast one businessfunctioncontinues toincreaseUseof Alby respondents'organizations,9oofrespondents,Organizations thatuse Alinatleast 1business function'PhaseofAluseamongorganizationsusingAlin202588象80led across organization|Scaling:Growingtheeployment/adoption ofIAlacrossorganization30Ithe businesslorearly testingofAl207.the defiritionfor Alusewa
Many organizations are already experimenting with Al agen...
