Romania records lowest AI adoption among Central European firms at 5%

A McKinsey study finds that only 5% of Romanian companies have implemented artificial‑intelligence solutions at an organisational scale, the lowest rate in Central Europe where the regional average is 12%. Across Europe, 28% of firms in the West have adopted AI at scale. The report highlights that 60% of the region’s economy – including manufacturing, construction, consumer goods, energy, logistics and financial services – is in sectors where scaling AI is harder, yet AI could unlock up to €280 billion in economic value, roughly 6% of Central Europe’s net sales. For Romania, opportunities are identified in customer operations, software development, finance, risk management, back‑office processes, production planning and supply chains. The study notes that most pilot projects fail to improve overall performance and that successful firms integrate AI directly into workflow, focus on measurable outcomes and restructure around strategy, talent, operations, technology, data and change management.