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McKinsey’s State of AI in 2025 report provides a reality check for business leaders and job seekers across consulting, banking, fintech, and accounting. While 88% of companies now report regular AI use in at least one business function, most remain stuck in a sort of “pilot mode.” Here’s what the data shows, and how job seekers can harness the information strategically.
AI Adoption Outpaces Value
According to McKinsey, nearly nine out of ten organizations now use AI in at least one business function, but only one-third of those companies have progressed past experimentation to scale AI across the enterprise.
What this means for job seekers is that many roles in traditional sectors are going through a hybrid transition—AI is being used, but workflows and systems haven’t adapted in a way that delivers strong bottom-line returns yet. If you’re pursuing a job in banking, consulting, or fintech, that means you have a chance to distinguish yourself by being someone who understands both traditional operations and scalable AI.
The Rise of Agentic AI
McKinsey’s survey also highlights growing interest in “AI agents,” which are systems that can plan and execute multi-step workflows. In other words, they can act autonomously using instructions provided by a user. Around 62% of organizations are experimenting with these agents, but only 23% say they are scaling them in at least one business function. The use of AI agents is most common in IT and knowledge management.
As these agent-based systems mature and become more commonplace, companies will increasingly seek talent to embed them into core operations. In consulting, this could look like strategy teams that design use cases for agents. In banking or fintech, risk and operations professionals may become early adopters for AI-driven process automation. Being fluent in agentic AI, or at least understanding its potential, is becoming a competitive asset.
AI High Performers
The survey also finds that organizations that report a significant increase in EBIT (Earnings Before Interest and Taxes) aren’t just using AI for cost cutting. These “AI High Performers” are more interested in growth and innovation, redesigning workflows and scaling AI aggressively.
For job seekers in consulting or finance, this means it’s becoming increasingly important to position yourself as someone who wants to use AI to reimagine how work gets done, rather than for simply automating tasks. If you can demonstrate this effectively, you’ll be far more attractive to top organizations and firms.
Workforce Impact is Mixed
McKinsey finds a mixed overlook, with 32% of respondents expecting workforce reductions in the next year, while 13% expecting growth. Among those already implementing and scaling AI, roles in software engineering, data engineering, and AI product management are especially in demand.
The bottom line is, automation risk is real, but it won’t be consistent across the board. The biggest opportunities will be in AI-native roles or roles that intersect heavily with AI, such as fintech product managers, “quant teams” (professionals in finance with STEM backgrounds), or transformational consultants.
Soft skills will be incredibly important moving forward. Companies will be looking for people who can make decisions with AI, not just hand off tasks to it.
AI Risk Management
McKinsey also reports that organizations are becoming more serious about AI-risk—whether it’s inaccuracies or regulatory issues. About half of respondents say their companies have already seen a negative AI outcome, and high performers report more robust governance, validation, and human oversight.
This signals a shift in the hiring philosophy in areas like accounting, consulting, and fintech, as companies are prioritizing candidates who are knowledgeable about AI ethics and risk mitigation. If you can show knowledge in these areas, you’ll automatically set yourself apart.
Redesigning Workflows
Perhaps the clearest pattern in the McKinsey report is that success isn’t just about plugging AI into existing workflows, but rather about redesigning them. Professionals who are skilled at integrating and scaling AI are much more likely to rethink how work gets done from the ground up (versus simply layering AI on top of existing processes).
To take advantage of this trend, talk about process change when speaking with potential employers. For instance, when you’re interviewing, don’t just explain what AI models you can build—explain how you would embed them into day-to-day operations.
The big takeaway here is that while AI is becoming “business-as-usual,” meaningful transformation is pretty rare. For ambitious professionals and job seekers—especially in consulting, banking, fintech, and accounting—this gap presents unique opportunities. If you can show that you understand how AI can transform an organization, you’ll be ahead of the curve.
Rob Porter is an editor at Vault.
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