The State of AI in 2025: Agents, Innovation, and Transformation
In the 2025 edition of the annual McKinsey Global Survey on AI, the focus is on current trends that generate real value from artificial intelligence. This article is a joint effort by Alex Singla, Alexander Sukharevsky, Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, Bryce Hall, and Tara Balakrishnan from QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey.
Three years after generative AI tools sparked a new AI era, nearly 90% of survey participants report regular AI use in their organizations. However, progress is uneven.
While AI tools are widespread, most organizations have yet to fully integrate them into workflows and processes to achieve significant enterprise-level benefits.
Survey Findings on AI Adoption
The McKinsey Global Survey shows an AI landscape marked by increased adoption alongside persistent challenges. Many companies are still transitioning from pilot projects to large-scale implementation.
- The proportion of respondents indicating AI use in at least one business function has grown from 78% last year to 88% this year.
- The rise of agentic AI is a notable trend contributing to broader AI usage.
"The transition from pilots to scaled impact remains a work in progress at most organizations."
"Nearly nine out of ten survey respondents say their organizations are regularly using AI."
The survey reveals that although AI adoption is more widespread, most organizations still face challenges in scaling the technology effectively.
Summary
AI adoption is expanding rapidly, but organizations need to deepen integration into processes to unlock full value and scale impact.
Author's summary: Despite widespread adoption of AI by 88% of organizations in 2025, most still struggle to embed AI deeply enough to achieve significant enterprise-level transformation.