Europe is banking on AI to help solve its economic problems. Productivity is stalling, and tech adoption is slow. Global competitors, especially the U.S., are pulling ahead. A new report from Accenture says AI could help reverse that trend, but only if European companies move faster and invest more boldly.
Right now, most are not. The report shows that only 8 percent of large AI investments aimed at transforming business operations have been scaled in Europe. Many organizations in Europe are stuck in pilot mode, with AI adoption often limited to short-term tools rather than long-term change. Smaller companies in particular are struggling to keep up, both in resources and in technical capability.
There is also a deeper question looming. As geopolitical tensions rise and U.S. control over cloud and AI infrastructure grows, can Europe build a more independent, secure AI ecosystem of its own?