麦肯锡 -领导者如何将人工智能转化为增长动力 How leaders are turning AI into growth

September2026

Mckunsey

&company

Growth,Marketing&SalesPractice

HowleadersareturningAIintogrowth

Nearly90percentofcompaniesareinvestinginAI,butonly6percentseematerialimpact.Thedifferenceisinhowtheyapproachit.

HowleadersareturningAIintogrowth2

BrandedContentbyMcKinseyandAtlanticRe:think

Artificialintelligencehasauniquewayofinspiringawe,dread,andFOMOinequalmeasure—ofteninthesamemeeting.

ThatmixofemotionsisplayingoutacrosscorporateAmericaasexecutivesracetodeveloptheirAIstrategies.ManyaretestingwhereAIcanmovethebusiness.Companiesareeyeing

automationandproductivitygains.C-suitesarefrettingabouthowfasttheyneedtomove,andhowmuchtheyneedtoinvest,tomakesureacompetitordoesn’tgettherefirst,whereverthereis.

Amidalltheactivity,however,mostexecutivesaremissingacrucialdistinction:thedifferencebetweensimplyusingAIandbecominganAI-nativecompany.

Nearly90percent

ofcompanieshaveinvestedinAI,yetonly6percentareseeingmaterialimpact,accordingto

SteveReis

,

globalleaderofMcKinsey&Company’sGrowth,MarketingandSalesPractice.Thatgapsuggestsanuncomfortablepossibilityformostbusinesses:Theproblemmaynotbethetechnology,butwhatcompaniesaredoingwithit.

“Thetechnologyitselfisunbelievable,”ReistellsNicholasThompson,CEOofTheAtlantic,inOffSite.“Thechallengeis,howdoyouapplyittoabusinessproblemtoseevaluehittheP&L?”

Toooften,Reisargues,theproblembeginswhencompaniesbecomeenamoredwithAI—buyingaccesstoeveryfrontiermodelanddistributingtoolsandtokenbudgetstostayaheadof

competitors.Butthat’slikebuyingeveryemployeeamembershiptothebestgymintownandexpectingthemtogetfit.Withoutchangingroutines,incentives,andbehavior,Reissays,themembershipaloneaccomplisheslittle.

ThecompaniessucceedingwithAIreversetheequationtounlockgrowth.Theystartwithanoutcomeandworkbackward,askingwhereAIcouldfundamentallyimprovethewaythe

businessoperates.ForReis,thelessonisthatbecominganAI-nativecompanyisn’tprimarilyaboutaccumulatingmoreAI.It’saboutrewiringhowthecompanyworks,thenusingthe

technologyasagrowthleverwhereitmakesthemostsenseforthatcompany.

InhisconversationwithThompson,Reisexploreswhatothercompaniescanlearnfromthe6percentthathavebegunturningAI’sremarkablecapabilitiesintosomethingmoretangible:

results.

HowleadersareturningAIintogrowth3

Findmorecontentlikethisonthe

MckinseyInsightsAPP

scan·Download·personalize

‘There’salearninganorganizationhastogothroughonhowtoworkina

differentwaywithAI.Thatisamusclethatwillpaydividendsovertime.’

—SteveReis

NicholasThompsonisCEOofTheAtlantic.

SteveReis

isaseniorpartnerinMcKinsey’sAtlantaoffice.

Commentsandopinionsexpressedbyintervieweesaretheirownanddonotrep