Adoption is a starting point, not a result.
A new European business survey shows why “using AI” needs a more precise definition.
What changed
The Commission reports that 42% of surveyed SMEs and mid-caps use AI and algorithmic management, often experimentally. The survey covers both categories; algorithmic management need not involve AI.
Go to the source ↓Why it matters
A company can be counted as an adopter while changing very little about how work gets done. A trial, a recommendation tool and an automated operational process carry very different demands.
A better internal conversation starts with a specific task: what is the system allowed to do, who checks it, and which outcome would justify keeping it? Counting tools answers a different question.
What remains unproven
This is a survey of reported use, not a causal productivity study. The combined headline should not be read as a standalone AI adoption rate or as a finding about Croatian companies specifically.
The useful next step
Separate experiments, assisted decisions and autonomous actions in your own inventory. Give each a named owner and a measurable purpose before expanding its scope.
Ask what changed in the work, not just whether a tool is in use.