Table of Contents

• AI in the Workplace: Leaders Underestimate Its Adoption
• AI Moves Fast—Are Companies Keeping Up?
• AI Is Still an Investment
• AI Adoption Requires Real Transformation
• Lead the Change

Almost every company is investing in artificial intelligence, and 92% plan to increase their investments over the next three years. Yet, only 1% believe they have fully matured in AI adoption. Why is there such a gap?

While AI’s potential is immense, short-term returns remain uncertain. McKinsey’s latest report, “Superagency in the Workplace” explores how businesses can leverage AI to enhance human agency—the ability to act proactively and transformatively in the workplace—unlocking new levels of creativity and productivity.

AI in the Workplace: Leaders Underestimate Its Adoption

“Our research shows that the biggest barrier to scaling AI is not employees—they are ready—but leaders, who are not acting fast enough to drive change.”

McKinsey’s findings reveal a significant disconnect: while 94% of employees and 99% of C-suite executives claim to be aware of AI tools, many executives underestimate how widely generative AI is already being used.

Leaders estimate that only 4% of employees use generative AI for at least 30% of their daily tasks. The reality? The actual figure is three times higher. Additionally, while only 20% of executives believe AI will take on more than 30% of work tasks within a year, 47% of employees think it will.

The good news? McKinsey outlines three key ways companies can accelerate AI adoption and move toward a more mature implementation.

AI Moves Fast—Are Companies Keeping Up?

Artificial intelligence is evolving at an unprecedented pace. ChatGPT launched just two years ago, now has over 300 million weekly users, and more than 90% of Fortune 500 companies already use OpenAI’s technology. To put this into perspective, it took the internet nearly a decade to reach similar adoption levels.

Given this rapid acceleration, it’s no surprise that most employees are optimistic about AI’s potential. However, optimism alone is not enough. 47% of C-level executives believe their organizations are implementing generative AI too slowly, with the skills gap emerging as the biggest roadblock.

We’re at a turning point. While the initial excitement around AI is giving way to a more pragmatic approach, the technology continues to advance at lightning speed. The most forward-thinking leaders are already taking action: 25% have outlined a generative AI roadmap, and over 50% are refining their strategies. However, in an environment where change is constant, companies must embrace flexible, adaptable plans.

The real challenge? Making clear, strategic choices about which opportunities to pursue. Success won’t just depend on technology but on leaders’ ability to foster collaboration across teams, colleagues, and partners—turning AI’s potential into measurable business impact.

AI Is Still an Investment

Many companies have adopted AI, yet tangible returns remain elusive. 50% of C-level executives say their AI projects are still in development or expansion, even though two-thirds initiated AI use cases over a year ago. The problem? Weak strategies and lackluster ambitions.

AI holds massive economic potential, particularly in sales, marketing, customer service, and R&D. However, employee enthusiasm remains lukewarm. Is this due to job security concerns? Disappointing early experiences? Whatever the reason, investing in people is just as important as investing in technology.

Despite these challenges, 87% of executives expect AI to drive revenue growth within the next three years. To capitalize on this opportunity, companies must go beyond merely following trends—they need a transformational vision and a sharp focus on practical applications that deliver lasting competitive advantages.

AI Adoption Requires Real Transformation

AI represents an unparalleled driver of growth: nearly 90% of business leaders anticipate revenue increases due to AI over the next three years. Yet, executing the transformation needed to unlock this potential is complex—70% of corporate change initiatives fail.

To be among the few who succeed, leaders must recognize their critical role and stop attributing implementation difficulties solely to employee readiness.

McKinsey highlights three major obstacles to AI integration:

1. Leadership Alignment – Creating a unified AI strategy among C-level executives is crucial but challenging. Ongoing commitment and clear governance are essential to maximizing AI’s value and mitigating risks.
   
2. Uncertainty Around Costs – Companies must decide between off-the-shelf AI solutions and custom-built models, each with significant implications for costs and competitive differentiation. The real challenge lies in accurately estimating scalability costs.
   
3. Workforce Planning – The demand for skills is shifting rapidly. Businesses must attract AI talent, upskill existing employees, and balance AI’s impact on traditional job roles.

So, what are the key elements of a successful AI strategy?

McKinsey outlines six pillars for AI-driven transformation:

• Adaptability: AI evolves rapidly. Companies must adopt best practices quickly to stay ahead, from new technologies to business models and talent strategies.
• Governance: Managing AI data and models requires balancing autonomy and control. Leaders must oversee critical issues such as security, fairness, and ethical use.
• Budget Flexibility: AI models constantly evolve, requiring agile budgets that optimize costs and performance by combining large and small language models (LLMs & SLMs) and AI agents.
• AI Benchmarking: Standardized evaluation criteria help compare and improve AI performance. Transparent metrics increase adoption, even among skeptics.
• AI Skills Gap: 46% of leaders cite the skills shortage as a major challenge in AI adoption. Businesses must attract top AI talent—engineers and data scientists—while providing advanced tools, time for experimentation, and opportunities in open-source communities. Training existing staff is equally critical, with specialized courses in prompt engineering and AI development.
• Human-Centric AI: Ensuring fairness and transparency means involving diverse perspectives early in AI development. Yet, only 48% of C-level executives currently involve non-technical employees in AI ideation.

Lead the Change

Now is the time for leaders to take decisive action—investing in bold AI strategies while empowering people through education and human-centered development.

When leaders and employees collaborate to reimagine business from the ground up, AI transcends productivity gains to become a transformational force that amplifies human potential.

To navigate this new era, leaders must answer critical questions:

• What strategic priorities should guide AI adoption?
• How can we prepare our teams for the shift ahead?

Neodata is here to support you every step of the way—from employee training to tailored AI strategy development, implementation, and scaling.

Don’t wait—turn AI into your competitive advantage today.