AI in business is more topical than ever! More than 380 professionals responded to our quiz "Which AI should you choose for your work?". Between enthusiasm and caution, the results sketch out the contours of a digital transformation that is underway, but which faces significant challenges. And there are plenty of surprises.
Significant but uneven take-up
First surprising finding: 40.5 % of companies are already using AIThis figure shows that adoption has been faster than expected. Even more revealing is the fact that 16.5 % are planning to integrate it in the near future, bringing to 57 % the proportion of companies that will be equipped in the short term. A figure that testifies to a real dynamic of transformation.
However, this adoption remains recent: among users, 31.3 % started less than 6 months ago, and 21.5 % between 6 months and a year ago. Only 2.1 % have been using AI for more than two years, underlining the emerging nature of this technology.
Uses concentrated on mass-market tools
The survey reveals a marked preponderance of chatbots and virtual assistants (42.7 % of uses)far ahead of professional tools with integrated AI (15.6 %) and image generators (14.4 %). The dominance of consumer tools such as ChatGPT and Claude begs the question: do companies prefer these solutions because they are easy to access, or because they lack suitable professional solutions?
A positive impact on productivity
Feedback has been encouraging: 58.7 % of users see a time saving (25.3 % "a lot" and 33.5 % "a little"). It is worth noting that no user reports a total absence of time savings, suggesting that AI, once adopted, systematically adds value.
Varied but precise needs
The main needs identified reveal a pragmatic approach:
- Data analysis (11 %)
- Text creation (8.8 %)
- Task automation (9.3 %)
- Creating presentations (9 %)
- Research (8.7 %)
This distribution suggests that companies are primarily looking to optimise day-to-day tasks rather than revolutionise their processes.
Clearly identified expected benefits
The three main expected benefits are
- Increased productivity (24.4 %)
- Saving time on repetitive tasks (20 %)
- Optimising internal processes (13.1 %)
💡 Surprise : cost reduction comes only in 8ᵉ position (5.2 %), suggesting that companies see AI more as a tool for improvement than for saving money.
Risks of AI in business: confidentiality more of a concern than jobs or the "Skynet" scenario
Respondents' main concerns reveal an interesting hierarchy of risks. Data confidentiality comes top (16.7%), followed by the lack of originality of answers (11.9%) and the dependence of humans on AI (9.9%). Hallucinations (invented answers) also worry 9.8% of those surveyed.
More surprisingly, some of the risks covered in the media appear to be of less concern The scenario of a hostile superintelligence (Skynet-style) worries only 2.3% of respondents, while job losses (7.2%) and environmental impact (5.9%) remain secondary concerns.
Ethical and moral dilemmas, particularly in the healthcare or military fields, were of concern to only 3.5% of those surveyed, suggesting a more pragmatic than philosophical approach to the challenges of AI in business.
Major obstacles to the adoption of AI in companies
The survey highlights three main obstacles :
- Data confidentiality and security (16.7 %)
- Lack of in-house skills (18 %)
- The difficulty of integrating with existing systems (14.4 %)
A worrying lack of training
One of the most striking results concerns training: 74.6 % of respondents have not been trained in AI. (52.5 % with no training planned). This lack of preparation is confirmed by the feeling of unpreparedness: 68.3 % of respondents do not feel sufficiently prepared for the use of AI.
Paradoxically, 93.5 % are considering training (23.6 % "certainly" and 69.8 % "maybe"), revealing a strong awareness of the need to upgrade skills.
Disparities according to size and sector
The adoption of AI varies significantly according to the size of the company: ETIs (32 %) and medium-sized companies (19.4 %) are the most committed, while micro-companies (15.5%) are lagging behind.
By sector, business services (21.1 %), education and training (15.8 %) and industry (14.4 %) stand out as the most advanced.
Conclusion: the development of AI in companies faces major challenges
This survey reveals a The adoption of AI is faster than expected, but still faces major challenges: training, security, technical integration. The preponderance of mass-market tools and the focus on improving everyday tasks suggest a pragmatic rather than revolutionary approach.
The gap between growing adoption and the lack of training is probably the major point of attention for the coming months. However, the high proportion of companies planning training suggests that the situation is set to change for the better.
