Enterprise AI Investment Outpaces Bottom-Line Returns

Enterprise investment in artificial intelligence is accelerating, but financial returns are failing to keep pace, as first reported by The Register. A survey of 1,719 professionals and business leaders conducted by McKinsey for its "State of AI in 2026" report shows that the number of organizations reporting an earnings boost from AI has remained flat.

Specifically, 37 percent of respondents attribute "at least some" impact on their earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to AI use—a figure nearly identical to the 2025 survey results. McKinsey defines "AI high performers" as those who describe the technology's impact as "significant" and attribute at least 5 percent of their organization's EBIT to AI. Only 6 percent of respondents met these criteria, a rate that has not changed since last year.

Despite the lack of broad financial impact, McKinsey notes that organizations' conviction in the technology is growing faster than immediate returns. This is evidenced by the rise of agentic AI; 40 percent of respondents at organizations with over $1 billion in annual revenue are scaling AI agents, up from 27 percent last year. Additionally, nearly one-third of respondents reported choosing to build functionality in-house using agentic coding tools rather than purchasing software products.

Some organizations are facing operational hurdles, with 20 percent of survey respondents noting that their use of AI has been limited by related operating costs. While 80 percent of AI users report improved individual productivity, these gains have yet to translate into enterprise-level profit. Michael Chui, a McKinsey Quantum Black senior fellow and report coauthor, told The Register that some ROI is being achieved and described the process as a "journey, not a destination."