A recent McKinsey survey of 1,719 professionals and executives across 97 countries shows that the wider use of AI has so far had only a limited impact on company profits. Nevertheless, around 37% of respondents report a positive effect on operating profit, roughly the same proportion as last year. Companies also report benefits in areas such as innovation, competitiveness and customer and employee satisfaction. Cost savings are being achieved in areas including supply chain management and customer service, while revenue gains are seen primarily in marketing and sales.
The impact of AI is also becoming apparent at an individual level. 80% of respondents report productivity gains, while 50% use AI to support decision-making. At the same time, almost half have already experienced negative effects, and 39% expect AI-related job losses. Despite this, AI is being adopted more widely across businesses. Almost 90% now use it regularly in at least one business function. The share of companies using AI in at least three functions has risen from 51% to 56%, with chatbots particularly widespread at 47%.
Investment is also continuing to rise. 28% of respondents say their company spends more than 10% of its IT budget on AI, while 60% expect spending to increase over the coming year. However, around 20% report that ongoing AI costs are already limiting its use.
By Ida Kandler
Source: Heise, 27 August 2026, by Axel Kannenberg