The growing role of artificial intelligence, new EU regulations and rising consumer expectations mean that companies increasingly need reliable and well-structured data. Information is becoming a key asset necessary for the development of businesses and the digital economy, enabling greater transparency, improved operational efficiency and more resilient supply chains, experts emphasised during the international GS1 meeting in Warsaw.
“Today’s business operates in a reality shaped by digitalisation, artificial intelligence, growing regulatory requirements and consumer expectations regarding transparency. In this world, data is no longer merely a technical resource — it has become the strategic infrastructure of the digital economy,” said Mark Batenic, Chair of the GS1 Global Management Board, during the GS1 General Assembly in Warsaw.
He pointed to artificial intelligence tools as an example. They can create real value for businesses, public administration and consumers, but only if they are based on consistent, structured and reliable information. Without such data, AI generates only information noise. According to an IBM report, concerns about data reliability or accuracy may be a major barrier to the wider implementation of AI-related initiatives. When data is inconsistent, incomplete, biased or outdated, artificial intelligence models and agents become less accurate, inefficient and vulnerable to spreading problems.
Consumers also expect reliable data, as they are becoming increasingly aware and demanding. Another important driver is regulation. In the coming years, legal requirements will oblige companies to provide increasingly detailed and structured information. This applies to EU regulations such as the Digital Product Passport, which will provide information on the origin of raw materials, manufacturing processes, supply chains, repairability and product management after the end of use. New data obligations will also be introduced by the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, known as PPWR, and the EUDR regulation on preventing deforestation.
“All these regulations have a common denominator: the need for trusted, structured and machine-readable data that can be exchanged across the entire value chain. This is exactly what GS1 standards provide,” says Dr Marta Szymborska, Member of the Management Board of GS1 Poland. “The challenge is not only the availability of standards, but also companies’ readiness to implement them, as well as awareness and understanding of upcoming regulatory obligations.”
As experts emphasised during the GS1 General Assembly 2026 in Warsaw, data — consistently collected, shared and used with full trust by companies, regulators, consumers, patients and artificial intelligence systems — is now at the centre of digital transformation. Cooperation between market participants is also becoming crucial, based on common standards and data exchange that improve the flow of information, support sustainable development and increase supply chain efficiency.
“This year’s theme of the GS1 General Assembly clearly shows that the future of the market will be based not only on technology, but above all on the ability to cooperate. In a world of growing complexity, responsible leadership, global standards and reliable data are becoming tools of real change — one that benefits producers, retailers, logistics partners and consumers,” says Dr Eng. Elżbieta Hałas, CEO of GS1 Poland.
GS1 is a global organisation that for more than 50 years has been developing a widely used system of identification and communication standards. It is used in sectors including retail, e-commerce, logistics, construction and healthcare. Thanks to common standards that allow computer systems to automatically understand one another, companies can avoid many errors, delays and disruptions in supply chains, while also providing consumers with complete and comparable data. The best-known standard is the barcode — more than 10 billion GS1 barcodes are scanned every day.
The growing demand for precise data from consumers, regulators, business partners and AI systems means that companies are increasingly moving from traditional barcodes to 2D codes, including QR codes compliant with GS1 standards. These make it possible to provide much more information, for example about a product’s origin, ingredients, allergens, expiry date, environmental impact or recycling options.
For logistics operators, this means better operational performance and greater efficiency. For retailers, it enables improved inventory management, reduced losses and faster responses to product recalls. Another important aspect is better communication with consumers through access to additional digital content. In Poland, GS1 is running more than a dozen pilot implementations of QR codes, while some earlier projects have already been fully implemented.
“In the context of increasingly conscious and digital shopping, QR codes have the potential to become a permanent part of the everyday shopping experience of Polish consumers as a fast, convenient and reliable source of knowledge directly from the manufacturer,” says Dr Eng. Elżbieta Hałas.
A Kantar study commissioned by GS1 Poland shows that 82% of Poles have encountered QR codes and know what they are used for. This is 18 percentage points more than a year earlier. Some 57% declare that they are willing to scan codes to obtain additional information about products. A similar percentage have already scanned a QR code from product packaging to learn more about the product. A year earlier, this figure stood at 34% of consumers.
Respondents said they would be most willing to scan QR codes on labels of food and beverages, indicated by 54%, cosmetics and personal care products, indicated by 51%, and electronics, indicated by 50%. They also mentioned pharmaceutical products, household appliances and consumer electronics, as well as household chemicals.
Experts expect that Polish consumers will increasingly use information encoded in QR codes. This is all the more likely because the smartphone is already an integral part of shopping, used to check promotions, consult choices with family members or take photos of products. Consumers indicate that quick access to information and having it gathered in one place would be the strongest motivators for scanning QR codes on labels.
The role of reliable data in business development and the digital economy was discussed during the GS1 General Assembly, which this year took place in Warsaw. The event brought together representatives of GS1 member organisations, the GS1 Global Management Board and local boards from more than 100 countries.
