McKinsey says enterprise AI is finally 'on the road to ROI'

McKinsey reports that enterprise AI is finally starting to show returns on investment (ROI). In its 2026 State of AI report, the consulting giant surveyed 1,719 professionals and business leaders and found that while more businesses are deploying AI, the number of those reporting actual earnings boosts from AI has remained flat.

Only 6% of respondents were classified as AI high performers, attributing at least 5% of their organization's EBIT to AI and describing its impact as significant. Despite the slow ROI, companies continue to invest in AI, with 40% of respondents scaling agentic AI and nearly a third preferring to build functionality in-house using agentic coding tools.

However, AI-related operating costs are constraining use in 20% of organizations. While AI improves individual productivity, it has yet to translate into broad financial impact for organizations. McKinsey expects workforce reductions due to AI, but prior data suggests this prediction may not hold. The firm believes that while AI ROI is already being achieved at the high performer level, it takes organizational change to generate returns.

McKinsey's senior fellow Michael Chui emphasized that turning AI into a money-making endeavor is a long journey, not a quick destination.