The recent McKinsey article “Using AI to boost productivity is unlikely to create a sustainable advantage” (read it here) offers a timely reminder for business owners with valuable IP portfolios: AI-driven efficiency gains won’t deliver lasting advantage, but using AI to reshape offerings, business models, and market positions absolutely can. Most companies are chasing incremental productivity, yet the real opportunity lies in combining proprietary data, patented technology, and protected workflows to build AI‑enabled offerings competitors can’t easily replicate. Intellectual property becomes the scaffolding for new AI‑native value propositions—those that redefine customer experience, cost structures, and market control points.

For IP‑rich businesses, the practical takeaway is clear: treat AI as a catalyst for expanding and defending profit pools, not just for internal efficiency. The winners will be those who combine protected technology, proprietary data, and defensible business models into reinforcing moats that deepen with use. As McKinsey notes, “advantage accrues disproportionately to organizations that move early, learn faster than peers, and build capabilities that compound.” That’s key to your IP strategy—identify where AI amplifies your unique assets, redesign your offerings around them, and position yourself where value will concentrate as transaction costs fall. In an AI‑reshaped economy, your IP isn’t just protection—it’s leverage.