The State of AI in 2025: Agents, Innovation, and Transformation
In the 2025 edition of the annual McKinsey Global Survey on AI, current trends driving real value from artificial intelligence are examined. This article is a collaborative effort by Alex Singla, Alexander Sukharevsky, Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, Bryce Hall, and Tara Balakrishnan, from QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey.
AI Adoption and Progress
Three years after the introduction of generative AI tools sparked a new era, nearly 90% of survey respondents say their organizations regularly use AI. However, progress remains uneven.
While AI tools have become commonplace, most organizations have not fully integrated them into workflows and processes to achieve significant enterprise-level benefits.
Survey Insights on AI Usage
The latest McKinsey Global Survey highlights a landscape marked by broader AI adoption, including the increasing use of agentic AI, alongside ongoing challenges. Many organizations are still transitioning from pilot projects to scaled implementations.
- The share of respondents reporting AI use in at least one business function has grown from 78% last year to 88% this year.
- Despite wider use, scaling AI technologies across the enterprise remains limited for most organizations.
"The transition from pilots to scaled impact remains a work in progress at most organizations."
Overall, the survey reveals positive momentum in AI adoption but underscores that many organizations are still finding ways to embed AI deeply enough to maximize its impact.
Author's Summary
AI adoption is expanding rapidly, yet organizations face challenges fully integrating AI at scale to unlock its full enterprise value.
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