According to the latest K&H Innovation Index, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) among Hungarian medium-sized and large enterprises reached a record high in the first half of 2026. Among firms with annual revenues above HUF 300 million, 58 percent now use some form of AI-based solution, up from 48 percent six months earlier.
Development activity accelerates
Not only has AI usage expanded, but the share of companies developing AI-related solutions has also climbed to an all-time high. The proportion of firms actively developing AI rose from 24 percent in the previous half-year to 36 percent. In addition, 57 percent of respondents reported significant digital development initiatives, indicating that AI is increasingly embedded in broader digital transformation efforts rather than remaining a standalone technology focus.
Lóska Gergely, K&H’s IT and Innovation Lead, commented: “The application of artificial intelligence has visibly moved beyond the experimental phase. Companies are no longer merely testing these solutions; they are integrating them into an increasing number of business processes, even if primarily in the most straightforward areas for now. One of the key questions going forward will be how much AI can contribute to improving operational efficiency, enhancing customer experience and creating new services — in other words, the overall business value it can generate.”
Main use cases and sector differences
The survey found translation to be the most common AI use case: 39 percent of companies currently use AI for translation tasks, a figure that has doubled over one year and tripled over two years. Text processing tasks — such as producing summaries or business correspondence — are spreading at a similar pace and are used by 33 percent of companies. AI support for marketing communications has also grown, with 22 percent of firms using it, representing a doubling since the second half of 2024.
AI is appearing across additional business functions as well, including customer service, process automation and decision support. By sector, the service industry stands out: two-thirds (66 percent) of service companies reported using some form of AI. By revenue band, the largest firms lead adoption: among companies with revenues above HUF 4 billion, 72 percent use AI.
Link between AI and innovation funding
The research highlights a strong correlation between innovation activity and AI adoption. Among companies that introduced a new product or service in the past two years, 65 percent use AI. The connection is even stronger for firms that received innovation grants: 80 percent of companies awarded such funding reported using AI, considerably above the overall average in the sample.
K&H’s findings indicate that AI is increasingly becoming a core tool for growth-oriented and innovative businesses.
Methodology
K&H has published the Innovation Index since 2021. The 2026 first data collection took place between April 14 and May 6, 2026. The survey interviewed 360 innovation-responsible representatives of medium and large enterprises with annual revenues exceeding HUF 300 million by telephone. From a 52-question questionnaire, four composite subindexes were constructed covering implemented innovations, planned innovations, digital innovations and companies’ innovation strategies. The K&H Innovation Index is calculated as a weighted average of these subindexes, with planned future innovations carrying the largest weight (50 percent).
