Signal Professional services and TMT lead in pursuing AI-driven productivity gains

Summary

McKinsey's 2026 survey shows that some industries are further ahead in building AI skills to raise productivity. Professional services report the highest concentration of such efforts, at 64 percent of respondents. Technology, media, and telecommunications follow closely at 62 percent. Across all other industries the average is 53 percent. The report treats these sectors as front-runners in developing a workforce that can use AI to achieve large productivity gains, suggesting that the pace of workforce transformation will differ widely by industry.