AI's business impact underestimated – only 17% of IT decision ...
Despite the ongoing hype, Nordic companies are in the early stages of AI adoption, according to a recent study by Tietoevry Create. While AI has been integrated into daily business operations for years, organizations are only now beginning to embrace the latest wave of generative AI – and its true benefits remain unclear. A combined analysis of qualitative interviews and quantitative survey data from Finland and Sweden reveals that Nordic IT leaders now seek AI realism. More than half (52%) of respondents say their organizations are still in the early phases of AI implementation.
Although AI has been in use in organizations in one way or another for years, only 7% report that AI solutions are widely adopted by employees. Most companies see AI as an assistant, with its primary applications in customer service (42%), research and development (36%), and IT functions (41%). The biggest challenges cited include integrating AI into existing systems (31%), a lack of AI expertise (29%), and difficulty identifying relevant use cases. As a result, only 17% of respondents in Finland and Sweden consider AI’s overall business impact significant, while 51% view it as moderate, while 27% consider it as minimal or non-existent.
65% of respondents estimate gradual growth: AI’s role will expand, but its adoption will remain limited to specific areas or teams. According to the survey, the primary driver for AI adoption is improving efficiency (65%). Other key motivations include modernizing operations (37%), reducing costs (33%), and enhancing customer experience (32%). In-depth interviews revealed that many respondents have a positive outlook on AI-driven changes, expecting them to reduce repetitive tasks and even improve quality of life. While AI is widely seen as a tool for boosting efficiency, companies do not currently perceive it as a threat to jobs.
Challenges and Concerns About AI
The long-term effects of shifting people away from monotonous tasks towards more creative and strategic work remain unclear. Similarly, many organizations are still in the early stages of assessing AI’s final benefits and competitive advantages. The top concerns around AI include regulatory challenges, data security risks, and potential breaches. In both Finland and Sweden, nearly two-thirds of organizations are fairly or very concerned about the security threats associated with AI.
While many organizations are actively working to mitigate these risks, some remain hesitant to fully implement AI due to unclear regulations and uncertain data policies – especially regarding generative AI. 71% of all organizations consider responsible AI at least fairly important to their company strategy. Swedish organizations regard responsible AI clearly more important than their Finnish counterparts; half of Swedes see it as very important, whereas only 29% of the Finns think the same.
In the future, AI has the potential to help solve many societal challenges. Even today, we are supporting our clients in creating cost-effective and sustainable services with the help of AI – solutions that benefit not only individual organizations but society as a whole, states Rosqvist.
About the study: Tietoevry Create’s research consisted of two components: qualitative interviews and a quantitative survey. A total of 10 in-depth interviews with IT decision-makers were conducted in Finland (6) and Sweden (4) between January and March 2025. The quantitative survey, conducted in February 2025, included 415 respondents (approximately 200 per country) from medium- and large-sized organizations (100+ employees) who either contribute to or support AI-related decision-making. Participants were recruited via an online panel. The full report will be published in early May.
Graphics: Adobe Stock, Milos
