European Central Bank blog analysis finds one in four euro area workers use AI and most expect neutral or positive job impact

The European Central Bank published an ECB Blog post analysing its Consumer Expectations Survey on how workers in 11 euro area countries use artificial intelligence at work and how they expect technological advances to affect their jobs over the next five years. It finds AI use is already widespread, while most workers expect either no change or an improvement in productivity and employment prospects, with negative expectations closely linked to perceived job loss risks. In the May 2024 survey, about a quarter of workers reported using AI tools at work, with higher usage among those aged 18–34 (36%) than those aged 55–74 (18%), among university-educated workers (30%) than those without university education (18%), and among men (28%) than women (24%). On expected impact, 41% anticipated a positive effect, 37% no effect and about 20% a negative effect, while nearly two-thirds of AI users expected a positive effect. AI use and positive perceptions were highest in financial services and professional services and lowest in health and social, health care, and trade and transport, and were more prevalent among managers, professionals and technicians, with more than half of managers viewing AI favourably; greater training was associated with higher adoption. The post is part of an ECB miniseries linked to the “The Transformative Power of AI” conference on 1–2 April 2025, and notes that the survey will continue to be used to track how AI affects euro area workers as the technology evolves.