McKinsey & Company is accelerating AI integration. CEO Bob Sternfels revealed that of its 60,000 “employees,” 40,000 are humans and 20,000-25,000 are AI agents—up from a few thousand just 1.5 years ago.
Key milestones:
- QuantumBlack leads: The AI and engineering arm (1,700 staff) has AI agents comprising 40% of its workforce.
- Future goal: In 18 months, every employee will have one or more AI agents assisting operations.
This shift favors hybrid talent: less “off-the-shelf consultants,” more thinkers-engineers collaborating with AI.
McKinsey is evolving its model too—from fee-for-service to co-building client cases and sharing implementation risks/results.
