Businesses turn their back on technology

The vast majority of Greek enterprises are digitally illiterate. Although businesses sense that the digital era and artificial intelligence will alter the way work is conducted, the production process and entrepreneurship, they find it hard to see how that will happen and what they need to be doing about it.

Consequently, and according to a recent survey by People for Business titled “Technology, Artificial Intelligence and Human Resources Strategy,” just one in 10 Greek businesses has adopted AI technologies. Worse, Greek businesses are poorly informed regarding the applications and possibilities of AI, with just three out of 10 stating they are aware of their potential.

Despite the lag recorded in the adoption of AI instruments and applications, over eight in 10 companies believe that AI will play a significant role in the profile, knowledge and skills of the workers they will seek to employ in the future.

Nevertheless, so far just four in 10 businesses have gone ahead to introduce digital skills training for their staff. A slightly higher 45% of corporations employ digital platforms for the management and development of workers’ performance, while 26% have not yet utilized them and 28% are planning to use them in the near future.

The survey further showed that only three in every 10 enterprises believe that their growth will depend on the way they efficiently combine the attraction and development of their human resources through technology and AI. The fact that the large majority of Greek businesses and small and very small, active in traditional, non-competitive sectors of low added value, serves to explain why they see no connection between the two.

Almost three out of four enterprises (73%) believe that the effects on the labor market from the introduction and use of AI will not be significant, contrary to what 18% believe.

Regarding the way enterprises have introduced (or are planning to introduce) such functions, the majority (58%) choose a combination of specialized officials and external consultants; 25% concede it to specialized consultants and 8% have made or will proceed to the hiring of new staff to undertake this particular task.

The pandemic has not affected the decisions of most companies (82%) for the immediate adoption of technological and AI tools.