Both Belgian SMEs and larger companies use AI more frequently than the European average. But our country is also following a trend: the step towards integrating AI is becoming increasingly important for SMEs.

By 2023, 12.5 percent of Belgian companies were already using at least one AI-based technology. This emerges from studies by the FPS Economy. Compared to 2021, usage increased by 3.2 percentage points.

What is striking is that large companies in particular are ahead. Almost half (47.9 percent) of companies with 250 or more employees are already using AI in one way or another. This is significantly higher than the European average of 30.4 percent.

AI and medium-sized businesses

SMEs are less likely to find their way to AI. Only 12.5 percent said they would use the technology as early as 2023. However, this is also a good proportion in European comparison. At EU level, only 7.4 percent of SMEs with fewer than 250 employees say they have already integrated AI. It is therefore striking that Belgium is a leader compared to other EU countries.

SMEs have several reasons for not yet using AI. They primarily point to a lack of know-how in the company (4.4 percent), but there are also concerns about data protection (2.6 percent) and incompatibility with existing equipment (2.5 percent). The outdated infrastructure therefore slows down innovation.

It is striking that the benefits of AI are only questioned to a very limited extent by those surveyed. Only 1.1 percent say they do not see the benefit of the technology for their company.

Good thing

The fact that the Belgian business community is more accepting of AI than other countries is a good thing. Finally, AI can provide a competitive advantage by increasing employee productivity. In a country with high labor costs, it is particularly valuable to use available staff efficiently. Previous research from Google has shown that 76 percent of Belgian employees believe AI can improve their productivity.