As featured in the Financial Times: CEE’s AI ambitions outpace readiness as SMEs face harsh reality

Our latest feature in the Financial Times highlights a critical reality for Central and Eastern Europe’s AI journey: while over 75% of SMEs in the region are experimenting with AI, only a fraction are using it at scale – and readiness gaps in strategy, regulation, and talent remain wide. Based on AI Chamber’s survey of 3,200 SMEs across 11 CEE countries, the findings challenge the idea that technology access is enough. As CEO Tomasz Snażyk notes, “The question is no longer whether to embrace AI, but how fast and safely governments, investors, and SMEs can do it.”

The data shows that leadership clarity, talent readiness, and strategic intent are the real differentiators – and that with the right support, CEE’s SMEs could become leaders in applied AI. As Paweł Jurowczyk, Vice President of ABR SESTA, points out, “CEE’s SMEs could lead in applied AI – if supported by the right regulatory frameworks and education initiatives.”