Signal One in four expects AI as autonomous teammate within two years, with a generational split

Summary

McKinsey asked leaders whether AI agents will act as autonomous teammates within the next one to two years. Only about one in four expect AI to take on such agentic roles in that time frame. Responses split by age, with younger leaders more optimistic about how soon agentic AI will arrive. Among the youngest group, 27 percent expect autonomous roles, compared with 19 percent of leaders aged 55 and over. The report also finds that younger respondents and those in advanced industries claim more clarity about AI's impact, while older leaders and public-sector-adjacent fields lag.