The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has published a brief calling for faster, targeted training to help workers and businesses benefit from artificial intelligence (AI). Adoption remains uneven across firms and occupations, while education and adult training are not keeping pace with demand. The assessment distinguishes between highly exposed jobs that need upskilling and those where workers may need retraining for different occupations. Only about 30% of EU enterprises with at least 10 employees have adopted AI, with use concentrated in large, highly digital firms and Northern EU countries. Around 40% of white-collar workers use AI at work, compared with 6% of workers in elementary occupations. Through 2025, there was no clear link between AI exposure and unemployment, earnings or working hours in Europe. Highly exposed roles requiring human judgment, responsibility and interaction, such as doctors and professional services managers, are more likely to be enhanced by AI. Clerical jobs and some finance roles with lower requirements for these skills face greater risks of task replacement. AI understanding is included in the European Digital Competence Framework, but only about one-third of national school curricula cover AI competences, and around 30% of teachers have received AI training. Short, flexible learning options for adults also remain limited. Existing initiatives, including the Pact for Skills and the Artificial Intelligence Skills Alliance, support training partnerships and sector-specific projects. Finland’s National AI Upskilling Initiative has delivered more than 2,000 practical training sessions to small and medium-sized enterprises. The brief identifies expanded support for smaller businesses and workers in the middle of their careers as priorities.

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