The State of AI in 2025: Agents, Innovation, and Transformation
In the 2025 edition of the McKinsey Global Survey on AI, current trends driving real value from artificial intelligence are examined. This analysis is a collaboration between Alex Singla, Alexander Sukharevsky, Lareina Yee, Michael Chui, Bryce Hall, and Tara Balakrishnan from QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey.
Nearly three years after the emergence of generative AI tools sparked a new era, almost nine out of ten survey participants report their organizations regularly use AI. However, progress remains inconsistent across industries.
Current AI Adoption and Challenges
Although AI tools have become common, most organizations have yet to fully integrate them into workflows and processes to achieve significant enterprise-wide benefits. The latest survey highlights both widespread AI use—including a rising presence of agentic AI—and ongoing challenges in scaling AI beyond pilot programs.
“The transition from pilots to scaled impact remains a work in progress at most organizations.”
Growth in AI Utilization
The survey indicates an increase in the percentage of organizations using AI in at least one business function, from 78% last year to 88% in 2025.
“The share of respondents saying their organizations are using AI in at least one business function has increased since our research last year: 88 percent report regular AI use in at least one business function, compared with 78 percent a year ago.”
Despite this growth, the depth of AI integration varies, emphasizing the gap between adoption and scaling technologies for substantial business impact.
Summary
The AI landscape in 2025 reflects expanding use and innovation but also highlights the ongoing challenge of embedding AI deeply enough to unlock full enterprise benefits.
Author's conclusion: AI adoption is widespread by 2025, yet many organizations struggle to scale applications from pilots to transformational enterprise use.