McKinsey Global Institute (30.06.2017) Companies new to the space can learn a great deal from early adopters who have invested billions into AI and are now beginning to reap a range of benefits. After decades of extravagant promises and frustrating disappointments, artificial intelligence (AI) is finally starting to deliver real-life benefits to early-adopting companies. Retailers on the digital frontier rely on AI-powered robots to run their warehouses—and even to automatically order stock when inventory runs low. Utilities use AI to forecast electricity demand. Automakers harness the technology in self-driving cars.