Only 5.21% of companies in Romania currently use artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies, compared to a European average of about 20.1%, while 66% of Romanian SMEs say they want to adopt such solutions, said Viorel Băltărețu, an entrepreneur and former secretary of state in the Ministry of Economy, on Friday, according to Agerpres.
„5.21% is the percentage of all companies in Romania that currently use AI technology. The European average is around 20.1%, and countries where it is used most extensively—Estonia, for example—exceed the 40.1% mark. So, compared to the European average, we are currently at about a quarter,” said Băltărețu.
According to him, another report shows that two-thirds (66%) of Romanian SMEs say they want to use AI and believe this technology will transform the industry.
„We’re talking about the 66%, which wants to, and the 5%, which is doing it. That proves to me that it’s not a matter of technology. It’s a matter of courage and taking that first step,” said the entrepreneur.
In his opinion, the technology is already accessible and can be implemented at low costs, but many companies are still reluctant. „After all, a subscription to ChatGPT, Claude, or other simple AI tools, which is the basis of AI, costs somewhere around 20 dollars per month. It's not the complexity. The technology exists, it's accessible, and it works today. It is, unfortunately, the fear of the unknown. It's the feeling that AI is for others. Perhaps for corporations, for IT specialists, for people with large budgets. I believe this fear is the most expensive thing that Romanian SMEs are currently paying. And the reality is this: the world doesn't stand still,” explained Băltărețu.
Romanian companies risk losing ground to competitors from other European countries that are already using artificial intelligence to increase productivity. „AI is no longer a competitive advantage at this moment. In my opinion, AI is becoming a basic condition for staying in the game. Just like the internet was in 2000, just like the smartphone was in 2010. We have competitors, companies from Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, that are using AI and are obviously accumulating a productivity difference compared to Romanian companies every month,” he said.
Băltărețu specified that SMEs can use AI in areas such as marketing, customer relations, data analysis, legal activities, or human resources, with reduced investments and quick productivity benefits.
„The benefit for a smaller company, think about it, can be between 5 and 15 hours of work saved each week. That's between 20 and 60 hours per month. Return on investment in the first month, not the first year, in the first month. It is an extraordinary leap from the perspective of productivity and efficiency,” he stated.
At the same time, the former Secretary of State appreciated that the Romanian state currently lacks a strategy for AI adoption in the SME sector, criticizing the way European regulations in the field were introduced. „Unfortunately, the Romanian state has not had and does not currently have an AI adoption strategy for SMEs. (...) We had debates about risks, about ethics, and about algorithms, but what we did, from my point of view, was to regulate before educating. And this is a mistake that companies are paying for, at the moment, not the state,” argued the entrepreneur.
On the other hand, Viorel Băltărețu recommended that entrepreneurs start testing AI tools without waiting for ideal conditions or complete regulations. „AI will not take your business. But a competitor using AI, while you are not, can take your customers,” he warned.