The emergence of generative AI will determine the competitiveness of companies in the short term. In the race to implement this revolutionary technology, our companies, although they have much room for improvement, are not performing too badly. Indicators of National Observatory … Technology and Society (ONTSI) They point out that our country ranks average in the EU in business adoption of AI, at 11.4% compared to the European average of 13.5%. “Surprisingly, according to the OECD, countries like the US (5.7%) or the UK (4.1%) provide lower figures,” says Nuria Avalos, Director General of the Investment Office for Europe. Indiaan employers’ association to promote the use of data and artificial intelligence in companies and small and medium-sized enterprises.
In addition, the European Commission (Digital Decade 2025) highlights our country’s efforts to advance in the field of artificial intelligence, for example through the National Strategy for AI 2024 and the Green Algorithms Plan to make AI more sustainable. We have initiatives like the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) – the national supercomputing center. We have pioneered the launch of a regulatory “sandbox” for high-risk AI systems, making it easier for companies and startups to adapt to future European legislation. We participate in European networks of excellence such as ELLIS and projects such as OpenGPT-X.
Although the large core models of generative AI are in the hands of large foreign multinational companies, with sufficient financial strength and resources (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini…), Spain has published its own open source generative AI models such as MarIA or larger architectures such as ALIA (developed entirely in Spanish and in our co-official languages).
“With all these strengths,” says Nuria Avalos, “Spain will have the capacity and talent to develop generative AI models, especially collaborating in a consortium with European partners.” Fran Monzunes, CEO capgemini spain, He also believes that: “Spain has the talent and leading research centers, but it needs more investment and cooperation between the public and private sectors to compete in this race. The future lies in European alliances and leveraging our strength in sectors such as telecommunications, energy, banking and public administration, where AI can have a resounding impact.
When you get down to Earth, the AI is implemented in a very uneven way. According to ONTSI, AI tools are already implemented in 44% of large companies, but only in 20.6% of medium-sized companies, 8.6% of small companies, and 7% of small businesses. “According to our measure, more than 97% of industrial SMEs have not integrated AI, despite its direct impact on productivity and competitiveness. “SMEs face the greatest difficulties when implementing technology and challenges that are not easy to overcome, such as lack of investment, specialized talent, knowledge and sufficient technological infrastructure,” says Nuria Avalos.
The sectors most advanced in AI are banking, insurance, telecommunications, energy, health, and retail, which have used these tools for applications such as risk analysis, demand forecasting, virtual assistants… But generative AI represents a big leap, because it can generate content, analyze conversations, and make decisions based on data. “It doubles productivity and opens the door to deeper automation. Spanish companies recognize the potential, but the challenge is how to turn it into reality. It is not enough to experiment: there is a need for a clear strategy, investment and cultural change that allows collaboration between humans and machines. This new model leads us to talk about the “agent company of the future,” where AI takes care of much of the operational tasks and humans focus on strategic thinking, creativity, and empathy.
Nuria Avalos lists the many challenges that still lie ahead to implement one of the most revolutionary technologies of recent times: “One of the main challenges is unequal access to digital infrastructures. Not all regions or sectors have the connectivity, processing power or cloud services needed to implement advanced solutions. this Technology gap It limits the competitiveness of small companies or those located in regions with less digital development, leading to widening regional differences. Another major challenge is the shortage of specialized talent in artificial intelligence and data analysis. On the other hand, data management is also a major hurdle. Many companies lack adequate systems to collect, structure, and leverage their data securely and efficiently. There is also legal uncertainty in the face of evolving regulations, such as the new European Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AI Act). Added to this are doubts about the return on investment. Although AI promises efficiency and innovation, many companies, especially in traditional sectors, see change as costly or uncertain. Moreover, although public administrations have strengthened plans and aid, institutional influence remains limited. The challenge becomes greater in the case of small and medium enterprises. Constraints on scale, resources, and knowledge make AI adoption difficult, so it is necessary to design specific strategies that make this technology accessible and useful to them.
As Fran Monzunes also sees it, in brief, “the big challenge facing Spain is to combine investment, talent and regulatory stability so as not to fall behind in the race that will determine the competitiveness of companies in the coming years.”
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