89% of Spanish companies claim that artificial intelligence has not had significant effects on their workforce in the last three years, according to the Bank of Spain.
According to information from Startup Ecosystem, 89% of Spanish companies state that artificial intelligence has not had significant effects on their workforce in the last three years. This data comes from the study The Use of Artificial Intelligence by Spanish Companies, prepared by the Bank of Spain.
The report is based on the Business Activity Survey for the first quarter of 2026 and balance sheet information. For a business owner who delays the adoption of AI for fear of having to restructure their team, the supervisor's data does not support that fear, at least in the short term.
Among the companies that did register changes in their workforce, the proportions are almost identical: around 6% reduced employment and another 6% increased it. There is no general trend to replace workers with AI systems.
The nuance appears when looking at the intensity of use. In companies that report a high use of generative AI, nearly 13% increased their number of employees and 10% reduced it. In those with moderate use, 8.5% increased employment and 7% decreased it. The report does not establish a cause-and-effect relationship, but the pattern contradicts the idea that automation equates to cuts.
By sectors, agriculture and construction show the most notable advance. In both, the use of predictive or generative AI now reaches almost 30% of companies, about 20 percentage points more than in 2024. The growth is concentrated in generative AI, which allows for text production, information analysis, or task resolution with natural language instructions.
At the opposite end, information and communications leads with almost 60% of user companies, compared to 40% two years ago. This is followed by professional and scientific activities, with around half. The gap between sectors has widened, as those that already had a greater technological base are advancing faster.
The stated motivations point to improving activity, not saving costs. In predictive AI, 32.5% of companies use it to enhance the quality or reliability of their processes, and in generative AI, 30.7% do so. Task automation appears next, with 21.5% and 27%, respectively. Objectives such as cost reduction have relatively less weight.
Nevertheless, approximately 70% of surveyed companies have not yet adopted AI tools. Among them, 61% cite resource constraints, such as implementation costs and lack of qualified personnel. 18% believe the technology is not useful, 11% cite technical difficulties, and 8% mention regulatory or ethical concerns.
The lack of talent is a cross-cutting barrier: around half of companies identify it, with percentages above 55% in industry and energy, transport, and agriculture. Three-year plans confirm the asymmetry. 79% of large companies expect to strengthen the training of their workers and 62% to hire more specialized personnel, compared to 35% and 17% of SMEs.
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