ThestateofAIin2022—andahalfdecadeinreviewDecember2022Theresultsofthisyear’sMcKinseyGlobalSurveyonAIshowtheexpansionofthetechnology’susesincewebegantrackingitfiveyearsago,butwithanuancedpictureunderneath.1Adoptionhasmorethandoubledsince2017,thoughthepro-portionoforganizationsusingAIhasplateauedbetween50and60percentforthepastfewyears.AsetofcompaniesseeingthehighestfinancialreturnsfromAIcontinuetopullaheadofcompetitors.TheresultsshowtheseleadersmakinglargerinvestmentsinAI,engaginginincreasinglyadvancedpracticesknowntoenablescaleandfasterAIdevelopment,andshowingsignsoffaringbetterinthetightmarketforAItalent.Ontalent,forthefirsttime,welookedcloselyatAIhiringandupskilling.ThedatashowthatthereissignificantroomtoimprovediversityonAIteams,and,consistentwithotherstudies,diverseteamscorrelatewithoutstandingperformance.Thismarksthefifthconsecutiveyearwe’veconductedresearchgloballyonAI’sroleinbusiness,andwehaveseenshiftsoverthisperiod.First,AIadoptionhasmorethandoubled.²In2017,20percentofrespondentsreportedadoptingAIinatleastonebusinessarea,whereastoday,thatfigurestandsat50percent,thoughitpeakedhigherin2019at58percent.Meanwhile,theaveragenumberofAIcapabilitiesthatorganizationsuse,suchasnatural-languagegenerationandcomputervision,hasalsodoubled—from1.9in2018to3.8in2022.Amongthese1Inthesurvey,wedefinedAIastheabilityofamachinetoperformcognitivefunctionsthatweassociatewithhumanminds(forexample,natural-languageunderstandingandgeneration)andtoperformphysicaltasksusingcognitivefunctions(forexample,physicalrobotics,autonomousdriving,andmanufacturingwork).2In2017,thedefinitionforAIadoptionwasusingAIinacorepartoftheorganization’sbusinessoratscale.In2018and2019,thedefinitionwasembeddingatleastoneAIcapabilityinbusinessprocessesorproducts.In2020,2021,and2022,thedefinitionwasthattheorganizationhasadoptedAIinatleastonefunction.Fiveyearsinreview:AIadoption,impact,andspend2ThestateofAIin2022—andahalfdecadeinreviewResponsesshowanincreasingnumberofAIcapabilitiesembeddedinorganizationso...
