Gen AI is delivering measurable financial results, with companies noting revenue increases over the course of a year. A greater share of respondents reported revenue increases due to gen AI use in a July 2024 survey than they did in a survey in early 2024, Senior Partner Lareina Yee and coauthors note, with the biggest increases observed in service operations. Larger proportions of respondents across business functions in the second survey than in the first indicated revenue increases of 10 percent or more.
Image description:
Two sets of stacked bar charts show the revenue increase within business units from the use of gen AI over the past 12 months, broken down by function and time period (first and second half of 2024). Each bar displays the percentage of respondents who reported a revenue increase within a specified range. The chart is categorized by business function: strategy and corporate finance; supply chain and inventory management; marketing and sales; service operations; software engineering; and product or service development. Within each function, the bars are stacked to show the percentage of respondents reporting revenue increases of >10%, 6–10%, and ≤5%.
For the first half of 2024, strategy and corporate finance shows the highest percentage of respondents reporting revenue increases, at 43% (1% at >10%, 7% at 6–10%, and 35% at ≤5%). Supply chain and inventory management shows 53% (5% at >10%, 18% at 6–10%, and 30% at ≤5%). Marketing and sales also reports 53% (7% at >10%, 12% at 6–10%, and 34% at ≤5%). Service operations reports 45% (3% at >10%, 13% at 6–10%, and 29% at ≤5%). Software engineering reports 46% (7% at >10%, 9% at 6–10%, and 30% at ≤5%). Product or service development shows 35% (4% at >10%, 8% at 6–10%, and 23% at ≤5%).
For the second half of 2024, strategy and corporate finance again shows the highest percentage of respondents reporting revenue increase, at 70% (11% at >10%, 12% at 6–10%, and 47% at ≤5%). Supply chain and inventory management reports 67% (19% at >10%, 15% at 6–10%, and 32% at ≤5%). Marketing and sales shows 66% (8% at >10%, 24% at 6–10%, and 34% at ≤5%). Service operations shows 63% (18% at >10%, 14% at 6–10%, and 31% at ≤5%). Software engineering shows 57% (12% at >10%, 13% at 6–10%, and 31% at ≤5%). Product or service development reports 51% (12% at >10%, 15% at 6–10%, and 25% at ≤5%).
Note: This image description was completed with the assistance of Writer, a gen AI tool.
Footnote: Questions were asked only of respondents who said their organizations regularly use gen AI in a given function. Respondents who said “no change,” “decreased revenue,” “don't know,” and “not applicable,” as well as business functions that are cost centers, are not shown. Segments may not sum to the total shown, because of rounding. The first 2024 survey was in the field from Feb 22 to Mar 5, and the second was fielded from July 16 to July 31.
Source: McKinsey Global Survey on the state of AI, 1,491 participants at all levels of the organization, July 16–31, 2024.
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To read the survey, see “The state of AI: How organizations are rewiring to capture value,” March 12, 2025.