Large companies in Poland use AI eight times more often than small ones
The gap between large and small enterprises in implementing artificial intelligence is more than twice as large in Poland as the EU average. Studies indicate that the main barrier to implementation is the lack of employees' knowledge and skills.
According to Eurostat data for 2025, cited by MyCompanyPolska (opens in a new tab), 45.8 percent of large enterprises, 14.8 percent of medium-sized ones, and 5.8 percent of small ones (from 10 to 49 employees) used AI in Poland. The EU average was 55 percent, 30.4 percent, and 17 percent respectively. In Poland, large companies use AI nearly eight times more often than small ones; in the EU, about three times more often.
These figures should be treated with caution. Eurostat data for 2024, cited by „Rzeczpospolita” (opens in a new tab), gave 11.2 percent for small companies and 21 percent for medium-sized ones, which is higher than the 2025 comparison. The discrepancy may result from methodological differences or errors in secondary publications. It was not possible to verify the primary source directly.
How deeply companies are implementing AI is described by the “AI Adaptation Poland 2026” study by the consulting firm Grant Thornton, reported on October 19 by pulsHR.pl (opens in a new tab). Full AI implementation with a measurable financial effect is declared by only 7 percent of the companies surveyed. Another 43.9 percent use it selectively, 29.9 percent are at the stage of training and first tools, and 19.1 percent are running pilots. The most frequently indicated barrier is insufficient knowledge among employees and organizations (33.9 percent), ahead of legal and organizational requirements (29.8 percent). In 33.4 percent of organizations, employees use AI without authorization, while 25.2 percent ensure full transparency.
Others also point to skills. “Alongside funding for technology, access to skills is just as important,” says Amelia Szukowska, Vice President of the Foundation of the Coalition for Polish Innovation. Katarzyna Nosalska from the Ministry of Digital Affairs mentions the lack of employees' specialist knowledge, high costs, and unclear legal consequences.
For companies where employees are already using AI on their own, the authors of the Grant Thornton study warn against a ban: in their view, it would only “push company data into uncontrolled tools,” and the right response is “legalization and organization”.