ReedKnapp — Research & Advisory
- Global Voices
AI is Helping Everyone. It's Paying Off for Almost No One
McKinsey’s 10th annual State of AI survey finds 80% of workers say it’s improved their productivity, but only 65% of companies can point to AI moving the bottomline. This is unchanged from last year.
80%
Workers say their productivity has improved.
37%
Attribute EBIT impact from AI
6%
Classified as “AI High Performers”
- Global Voices
- AI Adoption
- ROI
- 2026
McKinsey’s 10th annual State of AI survey.
- The source
AI is Helping Everyone. It's Paying Off for Almost No One
McKinsey
Why It Matters
AI adoption continues to climb. 44% of organisations now say they are scaling AI across their enterprise, up from 38% a year ago. However, those reporting a good return on investment remain at 37%, unchanged from last year. Similarly, the share of “AI high performers” is 6%, the same as in 2025.
The gap is now between individual and organisational returns, not between adopters and non-adopters. 80% report a personal productivity uplift, and 50% say it is improving their decisions. Larger firms are pulling ahead, with 54% of $1b+ firms scaling AI efforts, compared with a third of smaller companies. The share of large companies running AI agents in at least one function grew from 27% to 40% in one year. There was little change in smaller organisations.
Benefits are real but not automatic or guaranteed. Leadership, clarity and execution discipline matter.
Key Takeaways
44%
Large organisations report they are scaling AI agents.
32%
Decide to build software with AI rather than buy
6%
Attribute at least 5% of EBIT to AI
Global coverage
What the findings suggest:
AI can produce enterprise-level ROI and competitive advantage, but the technology itself is no silver bullet. Firms that identify and deploy high-value use cases can step ahead of their competitors. Less strategic orientations may waste capital and weaken their ability to keep pace with leaders.
- The strategic read
Australian businesses face a period of heightened uncertainty and slower growth. AI could help protect and grow EBIT. This requires a clear vision, engaged leadership and a disciplined approach to selection, capability building, metrics and implementation. The firms that grasp this opportunity will be stronger and more resilient.
Three implications
1
Understand your specific opportunities – Identify the high value, high-ROI use cases in your organisation.
2
Build capabilities – This is an urgent starting point. Australia is behind other countries in building capabilities across the organisation.
3
Increase the focus on AI. – Particularly important for mid-sized businesses. AI can help level the playing field with large organisations.
Our Take
Early adopters producing results are starting to pull away from their competitors. This report demonstrates organisations are getting real benefits from AI. Just not everyone. Understanding the difference between those benefiting and those wasting resources is important. The report offers some insights.
AI is the most consequential technology of the last couple of generations, and the road to adoption will be bumpy. AI is also improving rapidly, so overcommitting to major change is risky. Mid-sized companies should get their people involved from the beginning, experiment in areas that deliver value, set goals and measurements, and build capbilities as they go.
This is ReedKnapp’s independent commentary on a third-party study ––”State of AI”, the tenth annual study by McKinsey.
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- Decision Lens
What to ask now
How are we measuring AI improvements?
Where do we sit on McKinsey’s scaling curve?
Do we have a clear AI ROI plan?
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