AI Usage Trends in Business: Mostly for Operational Activities

The global business world is witnessing a strengthening trend in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. This is evident in McKinsey's report, *The State of AI in 2022*.

Of the 1,492 global survey respondents, 50% had adopted AI in at least one business unit by 2022.

This represents a more than twofold increase compared to 2017, when only 20% of respondents were using AI.

The AI referred to in this report encompasses all technologies capable of performing cognitive functions related to human thought (such as language comprehension), as well as cognitive functions related to physical activity (such as robot automation and manufacturing tools).

Of all respondents who had adopted AI, the majority (24%) used artificial intelligence for operational optimization.

Other respondents used AI for new product design, customer service analysis, customer segmentation, improving product quality, and making business predictions, with proportions as shown in the graph above.

McKinsey also predicts that the trend of AI adoption will continue to grow in the future.

"Five years ago (2018), 40% of respondents who adopted AI invested 5% of their digital budget in artificial intelligence technology. But now (2022), this investment level is held by more than 50% of respondents," said the McKinsey team.

"Looking ahead, 63% of respondents expect their organizations/companies to increase AI investment in the next three years," they continued.

McKinsey conducted this survey in May and August 2022. All respondents are claimed to represent a diverse range of regions, industry sectors, company sizes, and business ownership models.

McKinsey also adjusted the survey data, weighting it based on the respondents' countries' contribution to global gross domestic product (GDP).