Around the world, almost all organizations are using AI. McKinsey’s Global Survey, “The state of AI in 2025: Agents, innovation, and transformation,” revealed that nearly 90 percent of respondents said their organizations were regularly using AI, with almost 70 percent reporting regular use of gen AI. Yet the report also highlighted that, despite the enthusiasm for the technology, progress is slow and most organizations are still in the experimentation or piloting phase of AI usage.1
The oilfield services and equipment (OFSE) industry is no different. Leaders in the sector certainly see gen AI’s potential to reshape their business models. In our recent OFSE Leaders Gen AI Survey, over three-quarters of respondents believed that the technology would deliver operational efficiencies (see sidebar “About the 2025 OFSE Leaders Gen AI Survey”). Yet gen AI adoption in the OFSE sector has not met initial expectations, and currently less than 25 percent of companies have progressed beyond pilot phases.
Slow adopters may miss a significant opportunity. Our analysis shows that the OFSE industry potentially could capture up to an additional $20 billion per year by diligently scaling AI—both generative and analytical—in its current operations. To realize this potential, OFSE companies will need to link the technology to defined business outcomes, establish scalable operating models, and institute change management—all as soon as possible.
The optimism about gen AI’s value is reflected in investment intent. When asked where they would allocate $1 billion to strengthen their businesses, 65 percent of leaders said they would prioritize digital infrastructure and AI capabilities (see sidebar “The importance of investing in digital: Survey responses”).
Respondents viewed gen AI as a tool for cost reduction that could enable leaner operations and faster decision-making, and act as a catalyst for differentiation and growth. They further regarded it as a source of competitive advantage through enhanced service quality, accelerated delivery, and the ability to offer more tailored, data-driven solutions to customers.
More broadly, an additional AI advantage for the OFSE industry can be provided by agentic AI. By using agentic AI systems (ones that can autonomously plan and execute multistep workflows), OFSE companies could move from incremental productivity gains to substantial performance improvements.
Gen AI and AI could represent a $20 billion opportunity for the OFSE sector, but the industry has yet to move from experimentation and piloting to meaningful impact. Despite high confidence in gen AI, adoption remains slow, with only one in four companies having scaled beyond the pilot phase. Significant barriers such as fragmented data, legacy systems, and limited organizational readiness are holding back progress, but these challenges are not insurmountable.
The moment has arrived for OFSE leaders to make decisive moves from AI experimentation to execution. The potential benefits are clear: operational efficiencies, cost reductions, and a competitive edge. However, the method that operators choose is critical. OFSE leaders need to adopt a comprehensive approach that connects strategy, operating model, technology, and change management. Looking ahead, they will also need to consider how competitive advantage will likely shift toward companies that move beyond pilots to rollout and embed agentic AI into core operational processes.
OFSE leaders can choose either to continue to lag behind peers or to act quickly to lead their organizations into a new era of innovation and growth.
