US employees are using generative AI at a rate three times higher than leaders predict. A McKinsey survey reveals a major perception gap between executives and employees.
A McKinsey survey shows that 13% of US employees already use Gen AI for 30%+ of their tasks. Meanwhile, executives estimate only 4% do. Employees also believe AI will play a bigger role in their work sooner. While 47% expect AI to automate at least 30% of their work within a year, only 20% of leaders agree. This gap suggests executives may underestimate AI’s real impact on workflows.
AI adoption in EU enterprises jumped from 8% to 13.5% in 2024. Denmark (27.6%), Sweden (25.1%), and Belgium (24.7%) are leading the charge. Meanwhile, Romania (3.1%), Poland (5.9%), and Bulgaria (6.5%) trail far behind. Nordic nations saw the biggest increases, with Sweden up 14.7 percentage points and Denmark up 12.4 points. The trend shows a widening digital gap within Europe.
AI for text mining (6.9%), speech recognition (4.8%), and natural language generation (5.4%) nearly doubled in adoption across EU enterprises. Text mining saw a 2.4x jump, while natural language generation rose 2.6x. AI-based automation, image recognition, and machine learning also gained traction. Businesses are integrating AI to process language, improve automation, and enhance decision-making.
Nordic countries dominate AI growth, with Sweden (+14.7pp) and Denmark (+12.4pp) seeing the biggest spikes. The EU average growth was 5.5pp, but Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) saw minimal increases. Portugal (+0.8pp) and Romania (+1.6pp) lagged in AI adoption. The divide raises concerns over digital competitiveness within the EU.
Are European companies embracing AI fast enough?
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