In 2024, a marked rise in the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) swept through EU businesses, with 13.5% of companies employing AI in their operations—an impressive jump from 8.0% in 2023.
Leading the charge were Denmark, Sweden, and Belgium, where more than a quarter of firms had integrated AI into their strategies. Yet, some nations remain on the back foot, with Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria still trailing with adoption rates below 7%.
Scandinavia’s tech-savvy economies saw the most dramatic increases, with Sweden boasting a remarkable 14.7 percentage point rise. Meanwhile, businesses across the continent embraced a variety of AI technologies, with text mining emerging as the most popular tool.
Around 6.9% of firms harnessed it to mine data, marking a notable 4.0 pp increase. AI-driven natural language generation also gained ground, alongside speech recognition tools, now in use by 4.8% of businesses.
With AI reshaping European industry, those quick to adapt could gain a competitive edge—while others risk being left behind in the digital revolution.