Czech companies are falling behind in the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) compared to foreign counterparts. While globally, 75 percent of companies rely on AI as a means to enhance productivity, in the Czech Republic, it is only 39 percent. According to the Digital Trust Insights Survey conducted by consulting firm PwC among nearly 4,000 managers in 70 countries, 29 percent of businesses in the Czech Republic plan to utilize AI for cyber defense in the next 12 months, compared to 69 percent worldwide.
“On the other hand, half of the respondents worldwide believe that artificial intelligence could cause catastrophic cyber attacks. In the Czech Republic, it is only a third of the respondents. Generally, Czech companies are more cautious in utilizing artificial intelligence and carefully consider all the advantages and disadvantages,” stated Petr Špiřík, Partner at PwC for Cybersecurity.
Surveys conducted by Lukáš Benzl, Chairman of the Czech Association of Artificial Intelligence, indicate that approximately 40 percent of domestic companies are utilizing AI in some capacity, with an additional 35 percent planning to do so. However, this may include individual usage outside of official company processes.
“This year, however, could shake up all the statistics. The most popular tools include generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney. Additionally, there is the highest number of trainings and consultants available for these tools, although it would make sense to also pay attention to other tools in the business environment,” added Benzl.
Complex and Ambiguous Legislation
For example, Creative Dock, a company that creates digital products or services for custom orders, currently utilizes all relevant AI tools, according to Adam Hanka, Director for Big Data and AI.
“We also create and refine artificial intelligence within our company processes, utilizing everything from ChatGPT and other LLM models to Copilot, image generative models, and even proprietary tools that we have developed on top of AI,” stated Hanka.
“In the Czech Republic, we are still in the minority when it comes to widespread AI usage. Many companies have also started focusing more on educating employees in the utilization of new tools and cybersecurity. Currently, we are only just entering a phase where truly usable AI tools are being created,” Hanka added.
While high costs are often the most common obstacle in the implementation of digitization and automation, experts suggest that it is the complex and ambiguous legislation surrounding artificial intelligence and its utilization in industries that poses a challenge, which is stricter in many cases compared to the United States. As a result, Czech companies are more cautious in implementing AI. The difficult orientation in legal regulations during AI implementation is confirmed by this year’s analysis of the Czech industry, where three-quarters of surveyed industrial companies cited it as an obstacle.