Manufacturing has become the most optimistic sector in EFL’s AI Barometer for the second half of 2026. The index for manufacturing and processing rose to 80.2 points, up 20.6 points in six months. Retail and the creative sector also scored strongly, while transport, finance and ICT reported much weaker investment intentions.
EFL’s overall AI Barometer reached 64.8 points for the second half of 2026, up 4 points from the previous survey. The aggregate figure, however, hides wide differences between industries.
The biggest shift was in manufacturing, where the sub-index increased from 59.6 to 80.2 points — the highest result in the survey and the strongest improvement since the first half of the year.
Manufacturers are increasing AI budgets
Among industrial companies, 76% plan to increase investment in AI-based solutions. An even larger 91% expect AI projects to support higher sales.
Technology investment may also create additional staffing needs. Some 28% of manufacturers expect to hire more people to deliver AI projects, while 11% anticipate higher employment after the systems are implemented.
“The latest survey shows very clearly that AI is no longer the preserve of technology companies or professional services. Manufacturing is now accelerating the fastest, even though it was long seen as more cautious about digital transformation.” — Paweł Bojko, Vice-President of EFL
In manufacturing, use cases include planning, process optimisation, reducing the cost of errors and analysing large datasets more quickly.
Retail remains close to the top
Retail and wholesale ranked second. The sector’s score rose by 9.5 points to 78.4.
Some 74% of trading companies plan to increase AI investment, while 91% expect the technology to support higher sales.
Employment expectations differ from manufacturing. Twenty-two percent of retail companies expect to add staff to carry out AI projects, but only 4% expect employment to rise as a result of the technology itself.
Creative and marketing companies rebound
The creative and marketing sector recorded the third-highest score. Its sub-index rose 15.2 points to 75.1.
Seventy-one percent of companies in the sector plan higher AI spending and 91% expect a positive sales impact.
At the same time, this group reports the strongest concern about job reductions. Twenty-two percent expect employment to fall as AI is introduced — the highest share among all sectors in the survey.
Transport reports almost no expansion in AI spending
Transport and logistics sits at the other end of the ranking. Its index fell 6.9 points to 50.3.
None of the surveyed companies in the sector said they planned to increase AI investment, and none expected higher sales from AI implementation. Ninety-three percent expect investment to stay at its current level, while 98% expect no AI-related change in sales.
The gap between transport and manufacturing is therefore more than 29 points, illustrating how uneven AI adoption remains across the economy.
Finance and ICT are more cautious than six months ago
Finance and insurance scored 51 points, down 7.1 points. Only 7% of companies in the sector plan to increase AI spending, while none said they expected sales growth as a direct result of new AI deployments.
ICT fell 4.6 points to 57.4. Twenty-two percent of companies plan higher investment and 27% expect AI to support sales growth.
EFL argues that weaker readings do not necessarily mean companies are retreating from AI. Sectors that invested earlier may now be focusing on integration, optimisation and measuring returns rather than rapidly adding new projects.
“The declines in finance and ICT can be read as a sign of maturity. These sectors tested and deployed AI earlier, so they may now be moving from rapid expansion to a phase of consolidation, optimisation and evaluation.” — Paweł Bojko
Healthcare expects the strongest staffing needs
Healthcare and social care produced a different pattern. Its AI index rose 2.7 points to 61.6 — not among the highest overall scores, but the strongest in terms of planned employment.
Thirty-six percent of organisations expect to add staff to carry out AI investments, and another 23% anticipate higher employment as a consequence of implementation. Both are the highest shares in the survey.
The figures suggest that healthcare AI may require not only technology purchases but also additional skills in operation, safety, oversight and integration with existing processes.
