Europe
AI at work in Europe: use by country for companies and workers, the gap with the US, how workers feel, readiness for the AI Act, data protection and investment.
7 facts from 29 studies. See the chapter on one poster.
- F-345–42%
Which EU countries' companies use AI the most and least?
In 2025, between 5 percent of companies (Romania) and 42 percent (Denmark) used AI, among firms with 10 or more employees; the EU average was 20 percent. Germany was at 26 percent, Spain 20, France 18 and Portugal 12, with the Nordic countries and the Netherlands at 33 to 42 percent.
- F-359–37%
What share of workers in each EU country use generative AI for work?
In 2025, between 9 percent of workers (Romania) and 37 percent (Netherlands) had used generative AI for work in the previous three months; the EU figure was 22 percent. Germany was at 21 percent, France 25, Spain 26 and Portugal 28. Surveys a year later with broader questions find higher shares, up to about half of workers.
- F-367–17 pts
How does AI use at work in Europe compare with the US?
US workers use AI more: in a survey asking the same question in seven countries in early 2026, 43 percent of US workers used generative AI for their job, against 26 to 36 percent in six large European countries, a gap of 7 to 17 points. For companies there is no clean comparison, and US firms that use AI spread it across more of their business.
- F-3748–86%
How do European workers feel about AI at work?
Most Europeans view AI at work positively: 62 percent across the EU, from 48 percent in Portugal and Greece to 86 percent in Denmark (2024). Large majorities want rules on how employers use it, and two thirds expect AI to cost jobs overall, though far fewer worry about their own job.
- F-3828%
How ready are European companies for the EU AI Act?
About 3 in 10 companies say they understand what the AI Act requires: 28 percent in two independent 2026 surveys, and 71 percent of German firms feel poorly informed. Engagement is rising fast, and the deadlines for high-risk AI moved in July 2026 to December 2027 and August 2028.
- F-3953–66%
How much do European firms care where their AI processes data?
A lot, by what they say: 53 to 66 percent of European firms that use or have considered AI cite data protection as an obstacle, more than any other concern. What they use tells a different story: in Germany, 93 percent said they would prefer a German AI provider, yet 76 percent of AI-using firms use ChatGPT and only 35 percent use any European or German AI application.
- F-4012–14×
How does AI investment in Europe compare with the US?
Private investment in AI companies was 12 to 14 times higher in the US than in Europe in 2025: $285.9 billion against $20.9 billion. The gap is about companies that build AI; among firms that use it, Europe roughly matches the US. Most public money is announced, not yet spent.