How does the adoption of GenAI in the workplace compare between Poland, Finland, and Sweden?

Poland and Finland are neck-and-neck – about 42-46% of office workers in both countries are using GenAI professionally. But Sweden tells a completely different story, with just 1 in 4 workers adopting these tools.

What's particularly striking is how Poland stands out in terms of engagement intensity. We have 10% of Polish professionals using GenAI daily – that's the highest regular usage rate among the three markets. Meanwhile, nearly half of Swedish respondents (49%) haven't even tried GenAI at work, which suggests much stronger cultural or organizational hesitancy.

This divergence is likely about more than technology access – it reflects deeper differences in workplace cultures and attitudes toward innovation. The Polish workforce appears to be diving in more enthusiastically, while Swedish professionals are taking a more wait-and-see approach.

We've established adoption rates differ across countries – but how do workers actually use GenAI in their daily work? What are the primary purposes in each market?

The usage patterns reveal some cultural differences in how professionals approach AI tools. Finnish workers are the most productivity-focused – 56% primarily use GenAI to get more done in less time. Swedes follow a similar pattern, viewing AI mainly as an efficiency booster.

Polish professionals stand out with a more developmental approach. While they certainly value productivity (32%), they're significantly more likely than others to use GenAI for skill development (18%) and exploring new business opportunities (15%). This suggests Polish workers see AI not just as a task-completion tool, but as a career accelerator.

Finns are nearly twice as likely as Poles (43% vs 24%) to use AI for tracking emerging technologies. This might reflect Finland's strong tech ecosystem, where staying ahead of digital trends is deeply embedded in workplace culture.

Does this mean Polish workers are taking a more strategic approach to AI adoption?

In many ways, yes. While Nordic workers tend to use AI for immediate, practical benefits, Polish professionals appear to be thinking longer-term – leveraging AI not just to do their current jobs better, but to prepare for future roles and opportunities. This aligns with our other findings showing Polish workers are more likely to view AI skills as essential for career advancement.

The Finnish approach of using AI to monitor tech trends is equally strategic, but in a different way – it's about maintaining competitive advantage at an organizational level, whereas the Polish pattern shows more individual career development focus.

Our data shows Polish workers are significantly more likely than their Finnish or Swedish counterparts to believe AI will take over their jobs. What is driving this perception gap?

The numbers here are quite revealing – we see 14% of Polish professionals anticipating AI could handle most or all of their work tasks in five years, compared to just 4% in Finland and 3% in Sweden. This enormous difference points to some fundamental variations in how these workforces view technological disruption.

There appear to be two key factors at play. First, the nature of work in Poland may involve more routine, process-driven tasks that are particularly susceptible to automation. Second, Polish workers demonstrate higher technological awareness – they're not just using AI more frequently, but also more thoughtfully considering its long-term implications.

Interestingly, this isn't necessarily a pessimistic outlook. Our analysis suggests many Polish professionals see AI as an opportunity – a way to break free from monotonous work, especially given Poland's high number of working hours compared to other EU countries. It's less about fearing replacement and more about anticipating meaningful changes in how work gets done.

The contrast with Sweden is particularly stark. Swedish workers show much greater skepticism about AI's ability to take over their roles, which may reflect either more complex job functions or greater confidence in uniquely human skills that AI can't replicate.

Looking ahead, how do professionals view GenAI's role in future hiring and career development? And what do they anticipate for their jobs in 5 years?

There’s a stark contrast between how these workforces view AI's future impact. Polish professionals are leading the charge in seeing GenAI as a core competency – a remarkable 69% believe AI knowledge should be a hiring requirement, more than double of Sweden's 34%. This suggests Polish workers view AI skills as crucial for career advancement in tomorrow's job market.

When we project five years ahead, the national perspectives diverge even more dramatically:

• Polish workers show the highest concern about job displacement (14% expect AI could replace most of their tasks)
• Finnish professionals take a more pragmatic view – 43% think AI will only take over some of their tasks, and 35% see AI primarily automating routine work rather than replacing roles
• Swedish respondents stand out for their skepticism – 23% believe AI won't significantly impact their work at all

Let's explore the emotional landscape around GenAI in Poland. What feelings does this technology evoke among Polish professionals?

Polish workers display what we might call "cautious fascination" toward GenAI. Nearly half (48%) express strong interest, but there's significant anxiety too – 40% report feeling uneasy. What's particularly revealing is how excitement (34%) and stress (29%) exist in nearly equal measure, showing this genuine ambivalence.

About 20% remain indifferent – likely those with limited firsthand experience. This emotional complexity suggests Poland is in an interesting transitional phase – recognizing AI's potential while soberly assessing its challenges.

How do these personal emotions translate to broader societal concerns?

Polish professionals are actually more concerned about AI's societal impact (39%) than their Nordic counterparts (25-30%). Their top worries form a telling hierarchy:

• Privacy erosion (44%) – reflecting strong data protection values
• Misinformation risks (43%) – likely influenced by regional media literacy challenges
• New, dangerous weapons (36%) – pointing to Poles’ geopolitical worries being aggravated by technological development
• Social dehumanization (35%) – suggesting concerns about technology weakening human connections

Given Poland's strong GenAI adoption rates we've discussed, could the country emerge as a European leader in AI implementation? The Eurostat data seems to tell a different story – what's your perspective?

This presents a fascinating paradox. Our study shows Poland's workforce is among Europe's most enthusiastic GenAI adopters (42% usage), yet Eurostat ranks Poland near the bottom for enterprise AI adoption (5.9%). This discrepancy reveals both Poland's potential and its challenges.

The good news:

• Polish professionals are early adopters who actively experiment with GenAI tools
• There's strong grassroots demand for AI skills development
• Workers see AI as a career accelerator rather than just a productivity tool

The challenges:

• Corporate investment lags behind employee readiness
• Sweden and Denmark's enterprise adoption rates (25%+) show what institutional support can achieve
• We risk falling behind if Polish firms don't capitalize on their workforce's enthusiasm

How can Poland bridge this gap between worker adoption and enterprise implementation?

Through three critical steps:

• Upskilling investments – Channel worker enthusiasm into structured AI training programs
• Strategic adoption – Move beyond individual tool use to organization-wide AI integration
• Policy support – Learn from Nordic models where government and businesses collaborate on AI

The raw potential is clearly there – Poland's workforce is more AI-ready than the enterprise numbers suggest. But without coordinated action, there's a real risk the country could become a nation of AI-savvy employees working for non-AI companies – creating a competitiveness gap.

The next 2-3 years will be decisive. If Polish firms can match their workers' adoption rates with institutional support, Poland could absolutely emerge as Central Europe's AI leader, but it requires moving from individual experimentation to strategic implementation.

Read the full report, available in Polish

The main source of the data cited in this interview is "Jak AI zmienia codzienność Polaków? Sztuczna inteligencja w pracy i życiu osobistym Polaków na tle krajów nordyckich", a report based on a CAWI study conducted across three European markets: Poland (N=1,020), Finland (N=1,036), and Sweden (N=1,335), surveying over 3,300 knowledge workers in total.

The research, commissioned by Solita and Future Mind with local partners (SW Research, Taloustutkimus, and Kantar Media/Sifo), explores how Generative AI is transforming workplaces and daily life in Poland, Sweden, and Finland.