Reasons for enterprises' adoption of artificial intelligence in Italy 2018

In 2018, the main driver behind enterprises' adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in Italy was improving process efficiency. Half of the surveyed organizations had introduced AI solutions mainly to cut costs. By contrast, 13 percent of enterprises had adopted AI tools for decision-making support. According to a 2018 survey, eight in ten businesses had already implemented artificial intelligence projects.

Benefits and risks of introducing AI

Company executives saw cost reduction and increased efficiency as the main benefits of AI. The improvement of existing products and services, and the delivery of new ones, were also mentioned as being main advantages. However, executives also saw some potential risks connected to the adoption of AI in the workplace. These concerns were mostly linked to the impact on employees and training costs.

The employee perspective

According to a 2019 survey, Italian employees were optimistic about the implementation of artificial intelligence. Nearly nine out of ten employees believed that artificial intelligence would have some impact on their work. While eight percent worried that AI would replace their job or reduce their working hours, roughly seven in ten thought that AI could help them accomplish their tasks more efficiently. In this sense, their opinion was aligned with that of managers and executives.