More than 84% of micro, small and medium-sized businesses surveyed admit to having at least significant skills gaps in artificial intelligence, with 46.3% describing these gaps as critical, according to surveys conducted for the report “AI Competency Map in Poland” by the Polish Development Fund (PFR) and Google Cloud Poland. SMEs often do not understand how they can use AI tools or what benefits they might bring. Other barriers cited include limited budgets, the absence of a coherent digital strategy, and resistance to change.
“In the report, we looked at the small and medium-sized enterprise segment. The results were quite sobering. Few companies use artificial intelligence, yet if they did, the potential and productivity of the Polish economy would grow,” stresses Magda Gajownik de Vries of the Polish Development Fund in an interview with Newseria.
Data from Implement Consulting Group & Google, cited in the report, indicate that fully harnessing the potential of AI could increase Poland’s GDP by as much as 8% in the long term. Adoption among SMEs is particularly important since this sector accounts for nearly two-thirds of the country’s GDP and employs roughly 7 million people.
A survey of 95 SME representatives reveals the scale of the competency problem in AI: 84.2% of respondents acknowledge deficiencies in their organisations. Only 9.5% say they do not perceive an AI skills gap.
Based on various market studies, experts from PFR and Google Cloud Poland compiled a list of factors hindering AI adoption in SMEs. The skills gap is one of them. Entrepreneurs point to a shortage of employees with the right competencies, difficulties in recruiting and retaining IT specialists, and a lack of time and resources for training.
“We see a competency gap in recognising the potential of AI at the level of motivation and willingness to try new technologies. If a business has processes that work, the owner is typically reluctant to explore new areas of technological application. This is one of the main barriers,” emphasises Gajownik de Vries.
SMEs also point to financial barriers—high implementation costs disproportionate to perceived benefits—as well as bureaucratic and regulatory obstacles. Organisational and cultural challenges also play a role, such as low trust in technology and resistance to change. Many companies lack a clear vision or plan for deploying AI solutions.
Cybersecurity concerns are another commonly cited barrier. Companies also highlight difficulties in accessing data or problems with poor data quality.
“Businesses often do not have data prepared in a way that allows them to begin using AI. They are not yet capable of analysing data within their organisations for use in projects or daily operations,” notes the PFR expert.
Other obstacles include a lack of “success stories”—real-world examples of effective AI deployment—and limited access to reliable information about AI solutions.
However, the survey suggests that some SMEs are already experimenting with AI tools, especially conversational AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. These tools are widely accessible and easy to use, making them a natural entry point for small businesses exploring AI. They are primarily used for generating marketing content, analysing business data, customer service tasks, HR support, and automating administrative workflows.
“During interviews for the report, we observed that entrepreneurs—and often their employees—are already using AI. Typically, these are people who act as general problem-solvers in the company: they must handle many tasks, prepare presentations, arrange meetings. Such individuals often rely on AI tools,” says Gajownik de Vries. “But we also noticed that many do so using private accounts, which raises significant cybersecurity issues and requires urgent awareness-building among SMEs.”
As she stresses, using AI tools with private accounts can result in confidential corporate information or sensitive customer data being exposed online, which could have serious consequences.
“It is also important to understand copyright issues related to AI-generated content. These are basic competencies that employees should have,” she adds.
From the perspective of SMEs, there is a need for a systemic approach to developing AI competencies—one that reflects the specific characteristics and limited resources of smaller firms. Surveyed companies identify key enablers such as expanding practical training opportunities, strengthening cooperation with universities and research institutes, and improving access to educational materials. They also call for mentoring and coaching programmes, inclusion of AI topics in educational curricula, and awareness campaigns targeting the business community.
“The report shows that leadership plays a crucial role in companies. It is the manager or business owner who must understand the benefits AI can bring,” says Gajownik de Vries. “The Polish Development Fund actively supports businesses through educational and advisory activities related to digital transformation and AI upskilling. Entrepreneurs can use free online courses—such as AI fundamentals—and participate in workshops that showcase AI tools and their practical applications. There are also leadership workshops on implementing artificial intelligence. All of this is available during AI workshops for female and male leaders.”
According to Eurostat, 13.48% of EU companies with at least 10 employees used at least one AI tool in 2024. The data show significant differences across company sizes: more than 41% of large enterprises used AI, compared with nearly 21% of medium-sized businesses and 11.2% of small ones.
Overall adoption rates increased by 5.45 percentage points compared to 2023. Denmark leads the EU ranking with 27.58% of firms using AI, followed by Sweden (25.09%) and Belgium (24.71%). Poland ranks second to last at 5.9% (ahead of Romania), although this still represents growth compared with 2023, when adoption stood at 3.67%.
