30% companies see productivity fall after adopting agentic AI: McKinsey
What's the story
According to McKinsey's Technology Trends Outlook 2026, nearly 30% of companies have witnessed a decline in productivity after adopting agentic artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The report highlights operational challenges in the rapid enterprise adoption of autonomous coding systems. It emphasizes that the transition to autonomous software tools can lead to operational setbacks if not integrated with structural discipline.
Operational challenges
More code doesn't always lead to more products
The report warns that without a systematic approach, agentic software development can result in unintended outcomes.
It notes that higher coding output doesn't necessarily translate to business results.
For instance, one study found that while AI tools boosted coding activity by 180%, shipped releases only increased by 30%.
This indicates more code doesn't always lead to more products.
Trust issues
Lack of trust among developers
The report also highlights a trust issue among developers.
About 46% of developers worldwide actively distrust the accuracy of AI tools, while only 33% trust them and just 3% have high confidence in the outputs generated by these autonomous systems.
This lack of trust poses a significant barrier to companies looking to leverage agentic software development for their benefit.
Investment growth
Investment in agentic AI on the rise
Despite the challenges, investment in agentic AI is on the rise. Equity investment in companies developing this software increased from negligible levels through 2023 to about $5 billion in 2025.
The figure then surpassed $61 billion in H1 2026, mostly due to a $60 billion acquisition of Cursor.
Job postings related to this technology also surged by an impressive 221% between 2024 and 2025.
Tech expenditure
Broader tech sector investment trends
The broader tech sector is also witnessing a surge in spending. Investment in AI infrastructure doubled within a year, while energy technologies pulled nearly $200 billion in funding during 2025.
This was done as companies tried to meet the growing power needs of AI.
McKinsey's report warns that this rapid pace of change poses challenges for organizations trying to deploy AI without established processes.