In a new blog post, the European Central Bank analyzes Consumer Expectations Survey data showing that workplace artificial intelligence use among euro area workers doubled from 26% in 2024 to 52% in 2026. The median user reports saving three hours a week, equivalent to 7.7% of median working time, but the estimated economy-wide efficiency gain falls to about 3.8% because only 48.8% of workers both use AI and report time savings. Productivity effects also depend on whether the freed capacity generates additional output. Adoption and gains vary substantially. University-educated workers report 61% adoption compared with 37% among those with lower education, while younger workers are about 20 percentage points more likely to use AI than older colleagues. Coding delivers the largest reported savings at nearly eight hours a week but is used by only about 8% of workers, while more common uses such as research, writing and editing produce smaller savings. About half of workers still do not use AI. One-third consider it irrelevant to their tasks, while other barriers include a preference for traditional methods, accuracy and reliability concerns, limited employer provision and lack of interest. Around half of workers identify better training and a clearer understanding of AI’s usefulness as potential incentives, while about half of firms plan to invest in AI training over the next 12 months.
2026-08-26European Central Bank
European Central Bank survey finds workplace AI use has doubled to 52%, with uneven productivity gains
European Central Bank survey data show workplace AI use doubled from 26% in 2024 to 52% in 2026. Users report median savings of three hours a week, although the estimated economy-wide efficiency gain is about 3.8% and varies widely by task. Training gaps, limited employer support, reliability concerns and lack of interest continue to constrain adoption.