Polish consumers are using AI in their daily lives and expect the same from companies, according to the report “Ready for Artificial Intelligence: Expectations of Polish Consumers and Companies” prepared by PwC Poland. At the same time, for businesses, success in AI depends on the right combination of human resources, technology, and strategy. Data and technology alone are not enough.
- Consumers are ready for AI; they have heard of the technology and are using it. In each surveyed age group, at least 50% of participants were familiar with GenAI.
- They also expect companies to start offering AI solutions that make their lives easier, with over 55% highlighting support for completing tedious tasks and procedures.
- Despite concerns about data privacy and potential leaks, consumers want to use GenAI at work, even if company policies don’t allow it; 85% use GenAI without official approval.
- Companies are starting to invest in AI (over 75%), but few have many production applications yet, with most still in the early stages.
- Companies have begun investing in AI teams and technology, expecting significant improvements and returns. 55% of organizations have defined an AI strategy or are working on one.
- Businesses are also worried about data privacy, and implementing proper processes to ensure data security is a challenge for many. Organizations also face concerns about a shortage of AI specialists, with 69% struggling to recruit experts.
All consumer groups are using AI. Even among the oldest respondents, 56% had heard of GenAI. No new technology has gained popularity this quickly. Consumers’ needs regarding AI usage are similar – primarily for information retrieval and decision-making support. However, younger people often seek AI assistance in learning (56%), while older respondents primarily use it for information searches (78%). Consumers expect AI to be used in business and the public sector, focusing on automation. A significant 83% of respondents expect AI to streamline public sector procedures. Additionally, convenience is key – 67% of respondents would like to use virtual fitting rooms in online stores. AI adoption is progressing rapidly, but consumers still have uncertainties about some solutions and their implications. Above all, they are concerned about the lack of inclusivity and proper oversight of AI – 75% of respondents believe AI could cause social exclusion, while 80% foresee it contributing to disinformation.
“The results of our study are clear. Polish consumers are ready for AI. Over 60% of them have heard of artificial intelligence, and most are already using this technology in their daily lives. Although consumers are mindful of privacy and data access issues, they plan to continue leveraging the benefits that AI offers. Interestingly, over 80% of respondents expect these new technological tools to improve public sector procedures. Polish companies are responding to changing trends, with over 75% already utilizing AI in practice, from process automation to improving customer interactions,” said Jakub Borowiec, partner at PwC Poland and leader of the AI & Analytics team.
Proper management of six key areas (strategy, data, technology, business, culture and talent, and corporate governance, risk, and compliance) can yield significant benefits, enhancing competitiveness and innovation in companies. Over 50% of companies have developed their AI strategy (or have started working on one). Almost half of the organizations report that most of their data (over 50%) is stored in repositories (e.g., data warehouses). Companies are ready for the cloud – 90% of organizations with a structured AI approach use the cloud. Process automation, anomaly detection, and improving prediction accuracy are company priorities – 48% of respondents point to process automation. A lack of sufficient AI experts remains a challenge – 69% of respondents say their organization doesn’t have enough AI experts. Complying with regulatory requirements is another challenge – only 26% of organizations have implemented the necessary AI requirements.
“To fully harness the potential of artificial intelligence, it’s crucial to separate the widespread enthusiasm and sales narratives from the real needs and capabilities of people, businesses, and administrations. AI is still a new technology, and its applications and organization are continuously evolving. At the same time, companies are highlighting difficulties in recruiting top talent. The competition for talent has never been more critical to building global competitiveness,” said Michał Targiel, partner at PwC Poland, from the Intelligent Process Automation & AI team.
Despite the massive interest in ChatGPT, businesses see the greatest value in AI for process automation, anomaly detection, and improving prediction quality. In the retail sector, the key application of AI is customer interaction, particularly virtual agents and sentiment analysis. In the financial sector, the focus is on automating service processes, including speech recognition and prediction-making. Despite the lack of structured approaches, over 75% of companies plan to or have already started implementing generative AI solutions. The highest percentage of firms planning to implement AI solutions is in the retail and financial sectors, with over 80% investing in AI. At least half of businesses make decisions with AI support. The main areas of development across all organizations include process automation and predictive analytics, with nearly half (48%) of surveyed companies currently using predictive analytics.
“Most ideas for using AI don’t make it to implementation (80%). To avoid wasting resources, AI initiatives must stem from an AI strategy and be assessed in terms of capabilities, costs, and benefits. Such a strategy needs to be tailored to the sector and the company’s AI maturity. This ensures that AI investments deliver tangible benefits and positively impact company efficiency and customer loyalty,” said Michał Gamrot, deputy director at PwC Poland, AI & Analytics team.
The shortage of AI specialists may pose a significant threat to Polish companies’ plans for utilizing new technologies, making education crucial. 69% of respondents said their company doesn’t employ enough AI experts. The lowest rate, only 10%, was in the financial sector, where firms reported having enough qualified specialists. The situation is slightly better in the retail sector, where the rate is 23%. At the same time, nearly 70% of organizations haven’t conducted a competency analysis of employees involved in AI development. 64% of organizations have or plan to create career and development paths for employees involved in building and using AI. Over 50% of companies are currently conducting or planning to conduct an analysis of legal regulations or market standards in AI, with only 44% doing so regularly (at least once a year). Unfortunately, 37% of organizations do not conduct such analyses, and only 26% have implemented the required standards for AI systems used in their organization. Only 40% of organizations in the retail and financial sectors admit to having conducted or planned training on the safe use of AI. The most commonly identified risks associated with AI usage include confidential data leaks (57%), lack of clear accountability for AI results (39%), cybersecurity risks (35%), and intellectual property infringement (31%).
