ECB: Only 7% of Eurozone firms make extensive use of AI
Although the use of artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly widespread, most businesses in the euro area use it only sporadically or to a limited extent
Although the adoption of artificial intelligence by businesses is becoming increasingly widespread, the intensive use of this tool remains rare. In fact, in the last four months of 2025, 70% of businesses in the eurozone were using AI, but only 7% were using it intensively. The majority made moderate or sporadic use of it.
This has been revealed in an analysis published on the European Central Bank’s blog. The data is based on the results of the ECB’s SAFE survey (Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises), which involved more than 5,000 businesses.
AI and business
The spread of artificial intelligence shows no sign of slowing down: according to Safe, in fact, almost half of the Eurozone firms that were not yet using it in 2025 say they plan to invest in this field in 2026. However, the ECB points out that although the use of AI is often seen as synonymous with productivity growth, simply adopting these tools does not automatically guarantee tangible improvements in production processes.
What matters – as the survey states – is rather the way in which they are used. It is their intensive use – particularly in the areas of innovation and the expansion of products and services, rather than just for peripheral and routine tasks – that contributes to increased productivity and stimulates economic growth.
Who is adopting AI and why
As the analysis shows, intensive use is statistically more common amongst small businesses and newly established firms (those in operation for less than 10 years), although it is the size rather than the ‘age’ of the firms that is associated with extensive use of AI. Finally, at sectoral level, the deep integration of these tools is predominantly found in knowledge-intensive services, and in particular in the ICT (information and communication technology) sector.
