GKI conducted a survey in July 2025 among Hungarian companies on the spread of artificial intelligence (AI); 390 firms responded. The research examined which sectors experienced AI-driven changes over the past three years, how much companies trust the technology, and to what extent they can use it in everyday operations.
Key findings
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45% of responding companies said AI had no impact on their market in the past three years. Another 23% reported a moderate impact. 19% saw a medium impact, 9% a strong impact, and only 3% said AI had completely transformed their market.
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Sectoral differences are pronounced: AI had a stronger effect in the services sector and in commerce, while its impact was much more limited in industry and construction.
Breakdown by sector
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Services: nearly half of respondents perceive AI effects; 22% reported significant or complete market transformation.
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Commerce: 41% experienced at least a moderate impact from AI; 13% reported substantial or complete transformation.
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Industry: nearly 60% said AI had no impact on their market; only 6% reported a strong or very strong effect.
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Construction: more than 60% indicated AI had not reshaped their market, while 13% reported a meaningful impact.
According to the survey, these differences are mainly explained by the nature of activities in each sector: it is the character of the work itself—not managers’ attitudes—that constrains AI adoption in industry and construction.
How applicable is AI to company tasks?
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8% of respondents believe AI can be used in almost all activities, and another 16% think it can be involved in the majority of tasks.
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38% see moderate applicability, 25% only a small degree, and 13% find AI not applicable at all.
By sector, the services sector has the highest share (37%) of firms that believe AI can be applied to most tasks. In commerce this share is 20%, in industry 15%, and in construction 8%.
Trust and reliability
Company leaders are divided on the reliability of AI-generated content: 9% view such content as not reliable at all, 19% are mildly pessimistic, 47% take a neutral position, 22% are moderately optimistic, and only 2% stated they consider AI-generated content fully reliable.
Conclusion: a two-speed AI rollout
GKI’s analysis describes a two-speed AI revolution in the Hungarian economy: the services sector is moving rapidly and integrating the technology, while most industrial and construction firms largely remain unaffected for now. Nearly half of companies report no market impact from AI, and overall trust in the technology is low. The slower adoption stems primarily from the nature of sectoral activities, which highlights both the barriers to implementation and the market potential for AI developers.
Analysis by: Mihályi Máté Research areas: economic policy, macroeconomics, labor market, social mobility, with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe.
