In McKinsey's The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation, 88% of survey respondents report their organisations regularly use AI in at least one business function, up from 78% the year before. Yet nearly two-thirds say their organisations have not yet begun scaling AI across the enterprise—most remain in experimentation or piloting. For leaders investing in AI solutions and digital strategy, the gap between pilot and scale is where competitive advantage is won or lost.
Where Enterprises Stand
Sixty-two percent of organisations are at least experimenting with AI agents. Sixty-four percent report AI is enabling innovation and use-case-level cost and revenue benefits—but only 39% report EBIT impact at the enterprise level. High performers set efficiency as a primary objective (80%) and often add growth or innovation; half of AI high performers intend to use AI to transform their businesses. Redesigning workflows, not just bolting on tools, is identified as a key success factor.
What Holds Scaling Back
Data readiness, compliance, talent, cost, and weak integration have caused prior initiatives to fall short for many. Moving from pilot to scale requires clear ownership, workflow redesign, and alignment with business outcomes. Our small business AI adoption piece covers SMB trends; for enterprises, the same principles apply at larger scale: start with defined use cases, measure impact, and iterate. A unified partner that combines strategy, AI, and execution can help you move faster.
Conclusion
2025 is the year to move from experimentation to scaled impact. Focus on workflow redesign, clear metrics, and governance. For more on how we help organisations propel, transform, and optimize with AI, see our blog and services.
Sources
- The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation — McKinsey (adoption, scaling, high performers, workflow).