The use of artificial intelligence (AI) has become quite widespread among companies according to new findings from Statistics Iceland. Approximately half of all companies use some form of AI technology or software. However, a much lower percentage of companies can specify the particular tasks for which the technology is used, and even fewer have formulated a formal policy regarding its use.
The results show that 48% of companies use AI software of some kind and 50% use specified AI technologies. At the same time, 25% of companies say they use AI for specified tasks, and 14% have developed an AI strategy.
This suggests that the general use of AI is more widespread than its targeted implementation into specific projects and procedures. Definitive conclusions regarding the reasons for this gap cannot be drawn from the results. However, the data shows that in many places, the use of the technology appears to have progressed further than formal policymaking and the definition of use cases.
The use of accessible web solutions is most common. In total, 46% of companies use software on the internet, such as ChatGPT or comparable services. Of those, 39% use paid subscriptions to some extent and 37% use free subscriptions. 9% use paid subscriptions only. The proportion of companies using custom-developed or modified solutions is, however, much lower.
Furthermore, the results show that text-related use is most prevalent. A total of 45% of companies use technology that analyzes written language or text, 27% use technology that generates written or spoken language, and 22% use technology that generates images, videos, or audio.
There is a significant difference based on company size. Among companies with 1–9 employees, 28–29% use AI software or specified technology, while among companies with 250 employees or more, the comparable figure is 81%. Formal policymaking is also much more common among larger companies.
AI usage in specified tasks is most common among enterprises in information and communication; professional, scientific, and technical activities; and in transportation and storage.
A total of 31% of enterprises report some concerns regarding the use of artificial intelligence. The most common concern is a lack of appropriate expertise, but issues relating to adaptation to existing systems and equipment, as well as ethical and legal considerations, are also mentioned. Concerns are more common among smaller enterprises than among larger ones.
The results also indicate that the type of concern is not unrelated to how far enterprises have progressed in the implementation of artificial intelligence. In industries and size classes where the use of artificial intelligence in specified tasks and the existence of formal strategies are more widespread, concerns are generally less common. Where use and strategic implementation are less developed, concerns more often relate to lack of expertise and adaptation to existing systems and equipment.
The results are based on Statistics Iceland’s survey on enterprises’ use of information technology, conducted in 2025. This was the first time that the survey in Iceland included questions on the use of artificial intelligence. The survey was based on a random sample of enterprises. The sample size was 848 enterprises and the response rate was 62%.