Our Take
This is standard content automation dressed up as innovation by a consulting firm that should know better.
Why it matters
Enterprise leaders watch McKinsey's tech adoption as a benchmark for mainstream business AI use. Routine applications like puzzle generation show how quickly AI becomes invisible infrastructure.
Do this week
Content teams: audit your editorial calendar this week to identify repetitive formats that could shift to AI generation with human review.
McKinsey adds AI-generated puzzle to quarterly
McKinsey published puzzle number 266 in its regular crossword series, noting the puzzle was created using AI (per the company's publication). The crossword maintains the firm's standard format: business-themed clues targeting its consulting audience.
The publication describes each puzzle as "built around a subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) business theme" designed for problem-solving practice. No details were provided about which AI system generated the content or what human oversight was involved in the creation process.
Consulting firms normalize AI content creation
McKinsey's casual deployment signals how quickly AI content generation has moved from experimental to routine. The firm treats the AI creation as unremarkable enough to warrant only a brief mention in the puzzle description.
This represents the maturation curve for generative AI in professional services. What required significant technical investment 18 months ago now appears as a standard workflow tool for content teams.
Start with structured content formats
Crosswords represent an ideal use case for AI generation: highly structured format, clear constraints, and tolerance for imperfection that human review can catch. The business themes likely come from keyword lists or existing McKinsey content.
Content operations should prioritize similar structured formats over free-form writing. Puzzles, quizzes, templated newsletters, and FAQ formats offer better quality control and clearer success metrics than open-ended editorial content.