Artificial intelligence in Europe: how AI is entering everyday life
Publication Date/Time
2026-07-20T14:30:00+00:00
Country
Europe
Insights on generative AI use by individuals, AI adoption by
businesses and European attitudes towards the technology
Have you used artificial intelligence today? 

From writing emails to generating images, AI tools are rapidly
becoming part of everyday life across Europe. As adoption spreads
across societies and economies, understanding how the technology is
actually being used and experienced matters more than ever. 

Using open data from Eurostat [https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat] and
Eurobarometer [https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/screen/home], this data
story explores how AI is being adopted across the EU by individuals
and businesses, and how Europeans perceive its impact on society. 

 

_HOW ARE EUROPEANS USING GENERATIVE AI TOOLS?_ 

Generative AI tools allow users to create text, images and other
content on demand. Their uptake among European citizens has been
rapid; yet use remains far from uniform across age groups and Member
States (see FIGURE 1). 

On average, 32.7 % of Europeans reported having used generative AI
tools in the last three months; yet this figure conceals stark
differences. Usage is highest among young people aged 16 to 24, with
64 % having used such tools, compared with 33 % among those aged
25 to 64 and only 7 % among people aged 65 to 74. 

The country-level picture is equally uneven. Among Member States with
the highest uptake, Estonia and Denmark lead for the overall
population (around 47 % and 48 % respectively), while Greece,
Estonia and Czechia record the highest rates for young people –
with more than four in five young people in these Member States using
generative AI. Romania and Italy are among the countries with the
lowest rates: fewer than 20 % of adults aged 25 to 64, and around
half of young people – roughly 25 to 35 % below the leading
Member States. 

The data also reveals how Europeans use generative AI. Across the EU,
around one quarter of individuals across all age groups report using
these tools for private purposes in the last three months, such as
finding information or supporting everyday tasks. Among people aged 25
to 64, approximately one fifth use generative AI for work-related
tasks, reflecting its growing role in the workplace. Generative AI is
also widely used in formal education, with roughly 40 % of young
people aged 16 to 24 reporting use for learning-related activities. 

Taken together, the data points to a technology already integrated
into the daily routines of a substantial share of Europeans – with
the generation currently in school among its most active and
consequential users. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/EU-section-1-ai-usage-individuals-final.png]
FIGURE 1: USE OF GENERATIVE AI AMONG INDIVIDUALS IN THE EU BY AGE
GROUP AND TYPE OF USAGE 

_Source:_ Eurostat
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_ai_iaiu__custom_20956298/bookmark/table?lang=en&bookmarkId=84d7b79d-6b4f-4885-be24-7a7e0da8863f&c=1776068044000]
/ European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/ppkvne30sn081zzq0ddooa?locale=en]. 

 

_WHICH BUSINESSES IN EUROPE ARE ADOPTING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AND
HOW?_ 

Artificial intelligence is becoming part of how businesses across
Europe operate, with adoption (all activities)
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_eb_ain2__custom_21893397/default/table]
rising from 7.7 % in 2021 to 20.0 % in 2025; but how is it
actually being used? 

FIGURE 2 shows the share of companies using at least one AI
technology across different sectors in the EU in 2025. Information and
communication leads by a considerable margin, with more than 60 % of
companies using AI, including software developers, telecommunications
providers and digital platforms. Professional and scientific follow at
40 %, covering activities such as consulting, engineering and
research, while electricity and utilities companies also show
relatively high adoption at 34 %. At the other end of the scale,
sectors such as construction, transportation and storage, and
accommodation and food record much lower levels of adoption, generally
below 12 %. 

The second part of the figure highlights how businesses are using AI.
Around 12 % of companies use AI for text mining, for example to
analyse written content. Generative media creation, such as images,
video or audio, is also relatively common at 10 %. Text, speech and
code generation are similarly widespread at 9 %, supported by large
language models (LLMs) that help automate writing, coding and
communication. The sectors leading in overall adoption also tend to
deploy a wider range of AI applications simultaneously – combining
text mining, generative media and language tools – while
lower-adoption sectors, where they use AI at all, typically rely on a
single application type. 

Overall, AI adoption in EU businesses remains concentrated in digital
and knowledge-intensive activities. For now, AI adoption in European
businesses remains concentrated in knowledge-intensive and digital
sectors. But the pace of change since 2023 – more than doubling in
just two years – suggests the expansion is already well under
way. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/EU-section-2-ai-usage-industries-final.png]
FIGURE 2: AI USE BY COMPANIES BY INDUSTRY AND APPLICATION TYPE IN
THE EU 

_Source:_ Eurostat
[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/isoc_eb_ain2/default/table?lang=en&category=isoc.isoc_e.isoc_eb]
/ European Data Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/dpyj6oz3pcclvrsdkyp1w?locale=en]. 

 

_HOW DO EUROPEANS PERCEIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ITS IMPACT ON
SOCIETY?_ 

As AI becomes more common in workplaces, schools and everyday
activities, an equally important question emerges: how do Europeans
feel about this transformation? 

FIGURE 3 explores how Europeans view AI and robots in the workplace.
The results show a degree of caution, particularly regarding
employment. Two thirds of respondents agree that AI and robots steal
people’s jobs, and a similar share believes that AI could lead to
more jobs disappearing than being created (66 %). At the same time,
Europeans recognise the practical benefits of the technology. Around
two thirds agree that AI is useful for carrying out boring or
repetitive tasks, and more than 70 % believe that AI and robots
improve workplace productivity – the survey’s most positive
finding on the topic
[https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3222]. 

Views are more mixed when it comes to decision-making: although many
respondents (53 %) believe AI can support accurate decisions in the
workplace, a substantial share (38 %) remains sceptical. 

The picture changes markedly when the survey shifts from AI
specifically to digital technologies more broadly – a category
that encompasses smartphones, the internet, cloud tools and AI. A
clear majority of 62 % of respondents believe these technologies
have a positive effect on the economy, with a similar share (62 %)
expressing positive views on quality of life. When it comes to the
impact of digital technologies on people’s jobs, 50 % of the
answers are positive. Meanwhile, neutral responses (30 %) are
relatively common, indicating that many Europeans are still uncertain
about how technologies like AI may affect their professional lives. 

The pattern is consistent: Europeans accept AI’s contribution to the
economy and everyday life; yet remain anxious about what it means for
jobs. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/EU-section-3-ai-opinions-final.png]
FIGURE 3: PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND DIGITAL
TECHNOLOGIES IN THE EU 

_Source:_ Eurobarometer
[https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/3222] / European Data
Portal
[https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/s3222_101_4_sp554_eng?locale=en]. 

 

CONCLUSION 

AI is becoming an increasingly visible part of everyday life across
Europe. The open data tells a clear story, but not a simple one.
Across Europe, AI is spreading quickly – in classrooms, workplaces
and everyday tasks – but unevenly. Young people are far ahead of
older generations. Knowledge-intensive industries are far ahead of
construction, food and transport. And public opinion, while broadly
positive about digital technology’s effects on the economy and
quality of life, remains deeply cautious about employment. 

These are not independent trends. The workplaces and industries where
AI is most actively used are also those most exposed to its disruptive
potential. Young people who have grown up using AI in education will
soon bring those habits into the workforce. The recent surge in
business adoption – from 8.1 % in 2023 to 20 % in 2025 –
suggests the landscape is changing faster than public attitudes have
had time to catch up with. 

The gap between high-adoption and low-adoption countries – visible
both among individuals and among businesses – raises an open
question about whether the benefits of this transformation will be
distributed evenly across the EU. Open data makes it possible to track
these patterns in real time. The figures presented here are a
snapshot – one that will look very different by the time the next
survey cycle is complete. 

 

