Romania ranks low on AI adoption in global PwC survey

Romania ranks 41st out of 48 countries analyzed in the PwC Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI). According to the report, 44% of Romanian employees say they have used AI in the past year, compared with a global average of 57%.

India and Vietnam lead the ranking with 84%, followed by China at 78%. At the other end are Japan and Hungary, where fewer than 40% of employees have used AI at work, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

“AI has great potential to boost productivity and creativity, but many employees are not rushing to adopt it. Resistance is mainly due to fragmented implementation and a lack of training programs tailored to employees’ skill levels. In other words, some see AI as an add-on to existing processes, without real value. To achieve progress and fully leverage this potential, companies need an integrated AI strategy, systematic and equitable training, and effective communication about the benefits. Companies can start with practical AI use cases and give employees — especially non-managerial staff, where trust and adoption rates are lower — the opportunity to experiment,” said Ruxandra Târlescu, coordinating partner Tax, Legal & People at PwC Romania.

According to the study, AI usage among Romanian employees varies widely depending on job role and generation.

Thus, 64% of senior executives and 59% of managers say they used AI at work in the past 12 months, compared with only 35% of non-managers. By generation, 57% of Gen Z employees report using AI, compared with 44% of millennials and 35% of Generation X workers.

Daily use of AI technologies among Romanian employees is also among the lowest of the countries surveyed: about 6% use generative AI tools daily (global average: 14%), and only around 2% use AI agents daily (compared with 6% globally).

Romanian employees are among the least enthusiastic about AI’s impact on their work, with only one-third expressing excitement, below the global average of 41%. However, 49% say they are curious about how AI will affect their work (close to the global average of 50%), while 24% say they are concerned.

For Romanian employees who do use AI, the impact is clearly positive: 75% report improved work quality, 69% increased creativity, and 64% higher productivity. Expectations remain optimistic over the medium term — in the next three years, 58% expect quality improvements, 56% productivity gains, and 52% higher creativity. Still, less than a third (31%) expect AI use to lead to higher income.

When asked about the factors that will most influence their jobs in the coming years, Romanian employees point elsewhere: 50% cite regulatory changes, 43% geopolitical conflicts, and only 39% technological transformation.

“It is to be expected that legislative changes and geopolitical conflicts are seen as priorities by Romanian employees, given that 2025 has brought many legislative and fiscal changes that negatively affect companies and, implicitly, employees. The good news is that those who use AI are discovering its benefits and can influence wider adoption. In any case, the future depends on new technologies, and employees must adapt to meet the growing demand for AI-related skills,” said Oana Munteanu, director at PwC Romania.

The report also shows that 60% of Romanian employees are very optimistic about the future of their role within their company — one of the highest percentages among the 48 countries surveyed — compared with a global average of 53%.

Additionally, 72% believe they will have at least moderate control over how technology affects their work, versus 69% globally.

Regarding entry-level jobs, 41% of Romanian managers surveyed believe AI will reduce the number of such positions in their organizations over the next three years, while only 25% expect growth.

The study further indicates that fewer than two-thirds of Romanian employees (65%) say they feel satisfied at work at least once a week, below the global average of 70%. On the other hand, 64% say they feel inspired at work, above the global average of 59%.

Less than half (45%) of Romanian workers feel tired at work at least once a week, similar to the global average, while only 14% feel bored weekly, compared with 23% globally.

About 60% of Romanian employees feel they have found a meaningful career and believe their work benefits the world, above the global averages of 56% and 54%, respectively.

Just over one-third (35%) of Romanian employees report receiving a pay raise in the past year, below the global average of 43%. Only 39% say they can comfortably cover monthly bills and still have money left for savings, vacations, and other non-essential expenses, compared with 42% globally.

The PwC Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey 2025 is one of the largest global workforce studies, with nearly 50,000 respondents across 48 countries and 28 industries. Data for Romania reflects the responses of 500 employees from all regions of the country. PwC operates in 136 countries with over 364,000 professionals providing audit, tax, and business advisory services.