Only 5.2% of companies in Romania currently use technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI), compared to a European average of about 20%, while 66% of Romanian SMEs say they want to adopt such solutions, said Viorel Baltaretu, entrepreneur and former secretary of state in the Ministry of Economy, at a specialized debate on Friday.

'5.2% is the percentage of all companies in Romania that currently use AI technology. The European average is around 20%, and the countries where it is used the most, Estonia, for example, exceed the level of 40%. So, compared to the European average, we are currently about a quarter behind,' said Baltarețu, at the digital debate 'AI, legal and moral benchmarks. Between the boom of digitalization and legislative restrictions', organized by CLCC Coalition for Freedom of Trade and Communication.

According to him, another report shows that two-thirds (66%) of Romanian SMEs say they want to use AI and believe that this technology will transform the industry.

'We're talking about 66% who want to and 5% who do. That proves to me that it's not a problem of technology. It's a problem of courage and taking the first step,' said the entrepreneur.

In his opinion, the technology is already accessible and can be implemented at low cost, but many companies are still reluctant. 'After all, a subscription to ChatGPT, Claude or other simple AI tools, which means the basis of AI, costs somewhere around $20 per month. It's not the complexity. The technology exists, it's accessible and it works today. It's, unfortunately, the fear of the unknown. It's the feeling that AI is for others. Maybe for companies, for IT people, for people with big budgets. I think this fear is the most expensive thing that Romanian SMEs are paying for at the moment. And the reality is this: the world is not standing still,' explained Baltarețu.

In his opinion, Romanian companies risk losing ground to competitors from other European countries that are already using artificial intelligence to increase productivity. 'AI is no longer a competitive advantage at this point. In my opinion, AI is becoming a basic condition to stay in the game. Just like the internet was in 2000, just like the smartphone was in 2010. We have competitors, companies from Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, that use AI and are obviously accumulating a productivity gap compared to Romanian companies every month,' he said.

Baltaretu stated that SMEs can use AI in areas such as marketing, customer relations, data analysis, legal activities or human resources, with low investment and rapid benefits in terms of productivity.

'The benefit for a smaller company, think about it, can be between 5 and 15 hours of work saved every week. That is between 20 and 60 hours per month. Return of investment in the first month, not in the first year, in the first month. It is an extraordinary leap from a productivity and efficiency perspective,' he said.

At the same time, the former secretary of state assessed that the Romanian state does not currently have a strategy regarding the adoption of AI in the SME sector, criticizing the way in which European regulations in the field were introduced. 'Unfortunately, the Romanian state did not have and does not currently have a strategy for the adoption of AI for SMEs. (...) We had debates about risks, about ethics and about algorithms, but what we did, from my point of view, was to regulate before educating. And this is a mistake that companies are paying for at the moment, not the state,' the entrepreneur argued.

On the other hand, Viorel Baltaretu recommended entrepreneurs to start testing AI tools without waiting for ideal conditions or complete regulations. 'AI will not take your business. But a competitor who uses AI, and you do not, can take your customers,' he warned.AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Nicoleta Banciulea, editing by: Mariana Nica;EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)