Data from Hungary’s Central Statistical Office (Központi Statisztikai Hivatal, KSH) and surveys by K&H Bank show a mixed picture of AI adoption in Hungary. The KSH’s EU‑harmonized ICT survey reports that roughly 10% of all Hungarian companies use AI, while the K&H Bank innovation index finds that 58% of mid‑to‑large firms already apply AI solutions. Bíró Zoltán István, founding editor of the AI Radar portal, attributes much of the discrepancy to differences in sampling and methodology.
Methodological differences
The KSH figures come from an EU‑harmonized information and communication technology (ICT) survey that covers all enterprises with at least ten employees, therefore including small firms. By contrast, the K&H innovation index surveys only medium‑ and large‑sized companies with net revenues above HUF 300 million; in the first half‑2026 wave (14 April–6 May 2026) 360 innovation managers from such companies were interviewed by phone. That targeted sampling naturally excludes most smaller, typically less digitally intensive firms.
Sectoral variance and barriers to adoption
KSH data show strong sectoral variation. Nearly half (46%) of companies in the information and communication sector use AI, while in more traditional industries — for example construction — the majority neither use nor plan to introduce the technology. The main barriers cited by firms that plan but postpone AI adoption are lack of necessary expertise (66%) and concerns about data protection and confidentiality (52%). Unclear legal consequences were mentioned by 51%, high expected costs by 43%, and 29.8% said they simply do not need the technology.
Where companies apply AI
Among firms already using AI in 2025, the most common fields were marketing and sales (34.7%, up from 31.3% a year earlier) and corporate administrative processes and governance (31.6%, up from 17.6% the previous year). Production and services followed at 22.8%. Logistics (6.1%) and ICT security (13.3%) lag behind; ICT security is the only area that declined year‑on‑year (14.6% → 13.3%). This pattern indicates companies prioritize AI where it delivers direct business benefits, rather than primarily to reduce risks.
K&H’s first‑half 2026 survey in the mid‑to‑large enterprise segment measured rapid growth: the share of companies using AI rose from 48% to 58% in six months, while those undertaking AI development increased from 24% to 36%. The most frequent application is translation of written text (39%), a figure that doubled in one year and tripled over two years. Text processing (e.g., summaries or drafting letters) is used by 33% and support for marketing communication by 22%.
By sector and size, the service sector leads at 66%, and among the largest companies with revenues above HUF 4 billion, 72% use AI. Companies receiving innovation grants show an 80% AI adoption rate.
Hungary in the EU and regional context
Eurostat’s 2025 reference‑year data show 20% of EU enterprises used AI, up from 13.5% a year earlier. Denmark (42%), Finland (37.8%) and Sweden (35%) top the list, while Romania (5.2%), Poland (8.4%) and Bulgaria (8.5%) are at the bottom. Using the same harmonized survey, Hungary is around 10%, roughly half the EU average.
The KPMG and University of Melbourne 2025 study, covering 47 countries and more than 48,000 respondents, uses a different methodology based on household surveys in which people report both personal and workplace AI use. That research found high organizational AI adaptation in Poland, Romania and Slovenia, with weekly AI use rates of 25%, 21% and 24% respectively. Hungary lags notably in preparedness: only 19% of Hungarian respondents reported participating in AI‑related training versus a 39% global average, a low regional score. Public awareness of national and international AI regulations, notably the EU AI Act, is also weak: in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia more than 90% of the population reported not being familiar with these rules. The global average awareness is low as well, at 17%.
Consumer use and education
Consumer adoption presents a brighter picture than the corporate side. The AI Readiness Index 2026, produced for Publicis Groupe Hungary by PwC Hungary and presented at this year’s AI Summit, found 71% of Hungarian internet users use some form of AI tool in daily life, up from 42% a year earlier.
A different survey — the “AI Index Hungary” conducted by the JVSZ (Joint Venture Szövetség) AI & Automation Forum together with Code Intelligence and Peak — reports that 50.4% of the population used an AI tool at least once in the past month, but only one in four adults (25.9%) are regular users and 39% have never tried such a tool. Active users most commonly employ AI for information search (82.2%), learning (35.5%) and text writing (26.4%).
In education, students have often outpaced institutions. The Opinion Institute’s spring 2025 survey for Bosch, polling nearly 800 secondary‑school students aged 16–20, found 84% already planned to incorporate AI into their studies. In the Bosch Tech Compass adult survey the comparable figure was 75%. More than half (54%) in both age groups supported using AI‑based virtual tutors in certain subjects.
A university‑level study by Siemens Zrt. and the UNIside research group found that students widely integrated AI into their learning, frequently ahead of institutional guidance. Among surveyed students 75.3% used AI weekly or more often, yet only 3.6% had attended a formal university course on AI. Students’ trust in unverified machine answers is moderate: on a 10‑point scale they averaged 4.5, suggesting cautious and deliberate use rather than blind enthusiasm.
Conclusions
Hungary presents a split picture: rapid uptake among consumers and students versus uneven adoption in the corporate sector. Large firms and certain industries are moving quickly, while many smaller companies lag. Low participation in AI training and limited public awareness of regulatory frameworks may hinder safe, widespread, and sustained AI integration.
