The senior management proves to be the main “brake” in the implementation of artificial intelligence technology in companies, according to experts. They claim that there’s a lack of solid digital education, an adaptation of law to the changing world, and the competent use of data sources. As a result, Poland is only ahead of Bulgaria and Romania in terms of AI implementation within the European Union. Experts warn that if this trend is not reversed, there may be a shortage of workforce to ensure the quality of services due to demographic changes.
“According to Eurostat’s 2023 research, Poland is the fourth last in utilizing artificial intelligence technologies. The average for the European Union is 8%, while in Poland 3.7% of companies use AI technology daily, most of which are companies with more than 250 employees,” says Piotr Biegun, the chief operating officer at Algolytics Technologies.
Poland performs worse than every EU country, except for Romania and Bulgaria (2% of companies use such technologies), in AI implementation. The highest index was noted in Denmark and Finland (over 15%), then Luxembourg and Belgium (14%).
“The more economically advanced the countries are, the more they use artificial intelligence and data. A good example is Italy, which dynamically uses business intelligence solutions, even though Italians are not famous for new technologies,” Piotr Biegun points out. “When it comes to the size of a company, it’s really a bit about decisiveness and courage. Unfortunately, Poland is a country where we have many old companies, often family-run, and they rely on certain experiences, but also fears of technology. If we have smaller companies that want to compete with larger ones, they can only do so by providing better services. And this happens thanks to both technology and a different approach to processes, and the value generated for customers. They are not in a lost position, but they need courage and willingness to undertake an investment in artificial intelligence to increase efficiency.”
There is also a phenomenon in Poland known as the cult of manual labor. Often, company managers believe that only an increase in employment can lead to an increase in efficiency. The concept of building efficiency through investment in innovative tools is not yet popular enough to call it a strong trend. Nevertheless, this will have to change as human resources in the labor market are shrinking due to an aging population. According to the Central Statistical Office, at the end of 2023, there were 22 million people of working age in Poland, a decrease of 202,000 compared to the previous year. This group constituted 58.4% of the total population, compared to 58.7% in 2022 and 60.8% in 2000.
“If we don’t ensure that people are relieved of manual, repetitive tasks, our efficiency will not increase. And as a result, we will provide lower quality services for our customers, who function in the modern world and seek products and solutions here and now, not when we are available or when our employees can perform certain tasks,” the expert comments.
As he adds, to change the unfavorable trends in SI implementation, primarily education is needed, especially for existing labor market participants. It turns out that the main lack of digital skills lies with senior management.
“The second element is data. Without high-quality data, we are unable to say how our company really works, and it is impossible to implement artificial intelligence technology in companies. And the third point, which is also equally important, perhaps the most important one, is culture. If we do not have a culture in our organization that allows employees to experiment, to make mistakes, to learn, and to support the use of new technologies, all the changes will not occur in our organizations,” adds Piotr Biegun.
Much is left to be done by state agencies, according to experts. It turns out that on the one hand, Poland has access to some of the best data sources in Europe about companies, spatial data, or statistics compiled by the Central Statistical Office. However, these data are of low quality due to the lack of integration. Accessing data that even exists in public registers can sometimes be problematic, which does not allow it to be used for company development.
“The second layer is legislation and removing obstacles. For example, we have a case of leasing companies, the last industry that can not use electronic signatures because the law has not been adapted. If we look around different areas, we will probably see many more small improvements that allow better use of technology,” the expert explains. “Last but not least, strategy. I think a clear statement that Poland is to be an economy based on modern technologies, in which a human works with technology, not replaced by technology, would let everyone believe and make better decisions when it comes to investing in new technologies and also know in which direction our country wants to develop and build a competitive advantage.”
