The financial sector is currently the most advanced in implementing artificial intelligence, according to the latest edition of EY’s report, How Polish Companies Are Implementing AI. More than half of companies in this industry (52%) have already completed their first AI implementations. At the same time, retail, despite having the lowest share of companies that have completed their initial implementation processes (22%), is the sector most likely to achieve the expected benefits, with 66% reporting success. The biggest barrier to making decisions about AI adoption remains security concerns, indicated by 39% of all surveyed companies. The highest share of businesses hindered by such concerns during AI implementation was recorded in the energy sector (46%).
EY’s study, How Polish Companies Are Implementing AI, focuses on analyzing the process of artificial intelligence implementation both across the broader economy and within its key sectors: industry, services, retail, energy, and finance.
The data shows that by the end of last year, the financial sector had achieved the best results among all analyzed industries in terms of completed implementations. More than half of companies in this sector (52%) reported having finished their first AI projects. Services ranked second with 37%, followed by industry with 32%. In retail and energy, 22% of companies had completed their first implementation processes. For comparison, the average across all respondents was 34%.
“It is only natural that the financial sector is currently leading in AI implementation. Its operations are based on processing enormous volumes of data, and artificial intelligence performs exceptionally well in that area. However, this data is particularly sensitive. That is why companies in this sector must use AI in compliance with very strict regulations and the highest data protection standards. Adjusting to these requirements remains a challenge—as our study showed, 42% of companies in the financial sector are unable to assess the readiness of their data. For comparison, across all respondents that share stood at 21%,” says Marcin Sadek, Partner at EY Poland and Leader of Insurance Sector Advisory.
Retail Leads in the Effectiveness of AI Implementations
Retail is experiencing the most tangible effects of artificial intelligence implementation, despite having the lowest share of completed implementations. Nearly half of companies in this sector (47%) confirm that they have achieved the expected benefits, while another 19% say the results exceeded their expectations. Among the benefits most frequently identified by the sector are revenue growth (70%) and improved service quality (65%).
“This high level of effectiveness results, among other things, from the fact that implementations are focused on areas where value can be generated quickly. The retail sector most often introduced AI-based solutions in areas such as marketing and market analysis (75%), sales (68%), and customer service (60%). This, in turn, translated into a better shopping experience and higher revenues, which are the priorities for companies,” says Grzegorz Przytuła, Partner at EY-Parthenon.
By contrast, in the financial sector—the most advanced in terms of AI implementation—more than half of respondents (57%) said the benefits did not meet their expectations. This may result from the scale and complexity of the implementations, regulatory constraints, and insufficient data readiness and quality, which—despite the maturity of the projects—make it more difficult to achieve the expected outcomes.
Energy Focuses on Security and a Strategic Approach
One of the most important barriers to artificial intelligence implementation in the Polish market is security concerns, indicated by 39% of all respondents. The highest level of concern in this area is seen among companies in the energy sector (46%; for comparison: industry – 40%, finance – 39%, retail – 39%, services – 37%). At the same time, they are taking action to protect their data and cyber environment.
The survey results show that every energy company analyzed cybersecurity issues either fully or to a limited extent when implementing AI tools, and introduced additional technical and/or procedural safeguards before beginning to use them. The energy sector also leads in terms of having an AI strategy or development roadmap—according to the survey, 71% of companies in the industry have one in place (for comparison: industry – 64%, services – 61%, finance – 60%, retail – 50%).
“The energy sector approaches AI with exceptional awareness, because every mistake in this industry may have serious consequences for critical infrastructure. That is why it places such strong emphasis on cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, and strategic planning. For companies in this sector, it is therefore crucial to implement proven AI tools in a controlled manner, with clearly assigned responsibility, security procedures, and a policy governing their use,” says Jarosław Wajer, Partner at EY Poland and Energy Sector Leader.
The financial sector sees entirely different barriers—43% of companies say that regulatory constraints are the greatest challenge. Retail, in turn, is most constrained by excessively high implementation costs (38%).
“We can clearly see that organizations which implement artificial intelligence in processes that are critical to their operations are able to generate real value much faster—and this happens despite limitations such as data security issues, regulatory requirements, or organizational readiness. What proves crucial here is setting clear business goals and securing full commitment at the management level, which gives implementation teams the support they need to overcome barriers and focus on achieving objectives,” concludes Bartosz Pacuszka, Partner at EY Poland and AI Technology Leader.
About the Survey
The survey How Polish Companies Are Implementing AI was commissioned by EY and carried out by CubeResearch among 499 Polish companies: 45% operate in manufacturing, 33% in services, and 22% in retail. Fifty-six percent of respondents came from medium-sized companies, while 44% represented large enterprises. The third edition of the survey was conducted in the last quarter of 2025.
