More than half of European companies (56%) that have implemented AI tools report that the investment has paid off financially. According to the EY European AI Barometer 2025, businesses see not only opportunities but also risks connected to the technology. The survey also shows that satisfaction with AI effectiveness is increasing, with 70% expressing positive views – 7 percentage points higher than last year. Employees also notice the benefits, though unevenly: 82% of managers view AI positively, compared to 63% of lower-level staff. At the same time, 74% of respondents (up 6 p.p.) believe the AI transformation will reduce demand for human labor.
AI Pays Off
Financial benefits – in terms of either profit growth or cost savings – were reported by 56% of organizations participating in the survey, up 11 p.p. from last year. Only 16% said AI has not yet led to savings or profit increases, while 29% believe it is still too early to tell.
“AI implementation is not just about introducing new technologies – it’s about rethinking how we work and make decisions. Proper use of AI tools can enable more efficient resource allocation and the creation of products and services better suited to customer needs. Mistakes, however, can lead to a loss of competitiveness and market position,” said Bartosz Pacuszka, Partner at EY Poland, Head of the AI Technology team.
Growing User Base
The number of AI users continues to rise. In the past year, the share of respondents using publicly available AI tools grew from 72% to 78%. Nearly half use AI at work, while another third use it exclusively outside of work. Managers (21%) employ AI tools in business settings almost twice as often as rank-and-file employees (11%).
Satisfaction is also climbing: 70% of respondents expressed at least a positive view of AI, up 7 p.p. year-on-year. Still, perceptions vary – 82% of managers versus 63% of lower-level staff. Productivity gains from AI were reported by 43% of all respondents.
“Last year, cost and technology were seen as the biggest barriers to AI adoption. Now, organizational barriers have taken the lead. This suggests that companies should focus more on engaging all functions and levels of the organization in the AI process,” added Ewa Nowakowska, Partner at EY Poland, Head of the AI Data Science team.
What Tools Are Employees Using?
The most common use of AI among European workers is text generation (61%). This is followed by voice assistants and chatbots (39% each), and translation software (30%). Less common are voice-generation tools (10%), meeting transcription programs (11%), and AI for HR or finance optimization (11%).
By sector, the highest AI adoption rates are in technology, media and telecom (91%), advanced manufacturing (90%), energy (90%), and banking and financial services (89%). Consumer goods and retail lag behind at 71%, while government, public services, and healthcare remain lowest at 70%.
Does AI Threaten Jobs?
Nearly three out of four respondents (74%) believe AI transformation will reduce demand for workers. More than half (58%) are not worried about this, but 42% expressed concern. Women (47%) are more worried than men (38%), and lower-level employees (45%) more than managers (39%).
To keep up, 57% of respondents are actively learning about AI: 20% professionally, 21% privately, and 16% in both contexts. The generational gap is clear – only 42% of employees over 50 are training in AI, compared to nearly 70% of younger workers. Overall participation in AI training has risen 20 p.p. since last year.
Still, 43% of respondents are not engaged in AI education. Only 25% believe their company offers adequate AI training, and among lower-level staff, this falls to just 17%.
“The true potential of AI lies in skilled, well-trained employees, which makes training and upskilling essential. Gaps in adoption are widening the AI skills gap, a frequently overlooked issue that risks leaving companies without the necessary talent – and ultimately losing competitiveness,” said Katarzyna Ellis, Partner at EY Poland, Head of People Consulting.
About the Study
The EY European AI Barometer 2025 is based on a survey conducted in March 2025 among 4,942 managers and lower-level employees across nine Western European countries. Respondents represented 21 industry sectors.
Source: CEO.com.pl
