Artificial Intelligence Adoption on the Rise in Italian Companies
The use of artificial intelligence (AI) by Italian companies has seen a significant surge, with a doubling of adoption rates in just one year. According to the latest analysis by Istat on businesses and ICT 2025, over half of large companies are now utilizing AI technologies. However, despite this growth, the overall diffusion of AI still has considerable room for expansion, with 83.6% of businesses not adopting any AI technology, indicating a limited level of penetration.
In 2025, 16.4% of businesses with at least 10 employees are using at least one AI technology, marking a substantial increase from 8.2% in 2024 and 5% in 2023. Larger companies have recorded more pronounced growth, with adoption rates rising from 32.5% in 2024 to 53.1%, widening the gap compared to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), whose adoption rates have doubled from 7.7% to 15.7%. Companies in the North West region have also seen notable growth, with adoption rates increasing from 8.9% in 2024 to 19.3%.
Barriers to AI Adoption
The main obstacles to AI adoption are the lack of adequate skills and clarity on legal consequences. Almost 60% of companies that have evaluated but not invested in AI cite the lack of skills as a major barrier, while 47.3% of companies are deterred by the unclear legal consequences of AI adoption. These findings highlight the need for increased investment in education and training programs to develop the necessary skills for AI implementation, as well as clearer guidelines and regulations to address concerns around AI adoption.
The share of SMEs with a basic level of digitalization (i.e., using at least 4 out of 12 digital activities) stands at 79.5%, while 37.3% have high levels of digitalization (at least 7 out of 12 activities). Analyzing AI technologies used by sector of economic activity reveals that companies in IT and other information services have the highest adoption rates, with 53% of companies in this sector using AI, followed by film, video, and television program production activities, and telecommunications.
Sectoral Variations in AI Adoption
Data analysis and AI usage are more prevalent among companies in the energy sector (53.6% and 33.2%, respectively), information services (52.7% and 51.3%), and technical professions (46.2% and 35.7%). In contrast, indicators such as social media usage (59.0% of companies with 10+ employees) and online sales (14.7%) are more widespread in the commerce (72.8% and 19.1%, respectively) and accommodation and catering (82.3% and 34.6%) sectors. Online sales, in particular, are used by 20.1% of companies with at least 10 employees, generating 15.7% of total turnover.
These findings suggest that while AI adoption is on the rise in Italian companies, there is still significant room for growth, particularly among SMEs and certain sectors. Addressing the barriers to AI adoption, such as the lack of skills and unclear legal consequences, will be crucial to promoting further adoption and ensuring that Italian companies remain competitive in an increasingly digital economy.