State of AI 2025

The recent State of AI report from McKinsey offers an interesting snapshot of organisational AI adoption. However, imagine how much the AI landscape have changed between July 2024 (when the study was conducted) and March 2025 (when the report was published). New models, guidelines, growing awareness of the value waiting to be extracted from AI use, and the increasing number of use cases - all this must have driven organisations’s adoption of the technology and shifted the numbers accordingly. Nevertheless, I believe the report correctly identifies two fundamental organisational shifts needed to translate AI investments into measurable financial gains:

• Redesigning workflows

Simply layering AI onto existing processes is unlikely to yield significant results. True value emerges when organisations critically examine and redesign their workflows to seamlessly integrate AI capabilities, optimising efficiency and creating new opportunities.

• Putting senior leaders in critical AI governance roles

Responsible and effective AI deployment requires strong leadership and oversight. Placing senior leaders in pivotal governance roles ensures that policies, processes, and technology are aligned with strategic goals and ethical considerations, mitigating risks and fostering trust in AI systems.