AI automation and technologies within industries across Europe

This paper examines the current landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) automation and technologies across various industries in Europe, utilizing descriptive statistics derived from Eurostat data. By analyzing the proportions of AI adoption within key sectors, the aim is to provide a comprehensive overview of the present state of AI integration in European industries. This is relevant from the perspective of its possible economic effects. The existing litareture that focuses on the effects of automation technologies on employment is rather inconsistent and inconclusive (Filippi et al, 2023). According to Bowles (2014) 54 % of European workers are at risk of substitution (by applying the occupation-based approach), while according to Pouliakas (2018) only 13.9 % of workers will face a risk higher than 70 % (by applying the task-based approach). Moreover, McGuinness et al 2021, show how 16 % of adult European workers have recently experienced a skills-displacing technological change, i.e., some changes in the use of technologies (e.g., machinery and ICT systems) in the last five years and thus concludes that several of their skills will become outdated in the next five years. Josten and Lordan (2020) predicted that by 47% of European jobs will be automatable (of which 35% are fully automatable), while 40% of them are not expected to be automated. Anyhow, the probability of automation varies considerably across industries. The service sector is generally less threatened by automation (Pajarinen et al, 2015), no matter the fact that wholesale and retail trade have a high probability of automation (Nedeloska and Quintini, 2018). Several studies conclude that (besides services) industries with a low probability of automation (lower than 40 %) include: education, health and social work, arts, sport and entertainment, management, business and finance, public administration and public utility services (Illessy et al, 2021, Yamashita nad Cummins, 2021