The use of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions by Swedish businesses has more than doubled, rising to 25.2% this year, from 10.4% last year.
Of those businesses that are utilising AI, more than two thirds (69.2%) are using it for a specific purpose, the data from Statistics Sweden (SCB) showed. In addition some 14.5% of enterprises not yet using AI were considering its adoption, up from 8.3% in 2023.
In terms of how Swedish businesses are engaging with AI, more than half (54.6%) of enterprises had purchased commercial AI software or systems as of this year, up from 44.5% the previous year.
The use of open-source AI systems modified by in-house personnel has also increased, by 5.9 percentage points.
IT specialists
Statistics Sweden’s data also explored employment levels among IT specialists, and found that the proportion of enterprises employing IT specialists decreased to 21.6% in 2024, a drop of 1.4 percentage points.
At the same time, recruitment challenges have persisted. In 2023, a tenth (10.1%) of enterprises attempted to recruit IT specialists, with 53% f these reporting difficulties in doing so.
The most common issue cited as part of the recruitment process was applicants’ lack of relevant work experience, followed by a lack of appropriate qualifications.
Security measures
In addition, Statistics Sweden examined the level to which digital security measures have been implemented across Swedish businesses, with 92.7% stating that they implemented at least one measure as of 2024, compared to 90.7% in 2022.
Two-factor authentication saw the largest growth, increasing by 11 percentage points, while VPN usage decreased by 5 points.
The frequency of IT-related security incidents dropped slightly from 21.1% in 2021 to 20.4% in 2023.
Industries with the highest e-commerce intensity included travel services, computer repair, and food manufacturing, the data showed, while the wholesale trade, automotive, and IT sectors led in e-commerce turnover volume. Read more here.
