The 2026 Tech & AI Research, conducted by Inetum with the Bonafidé Institute among 2,400 executives and senior managers in France, Belgium, Spain, and Portugal (Europe), explores three key dimensions: the use of technology and AI on a personal level, in a professional context, and as citizens.
It highlights a growing and now central gap in the European relationship with technology.
believe digital technologies can “create a better world”
of executives use AI in their personal lives
of AI users say it increases their productivity at work
are satisfied with the digital transformation of public services
On a personal level, technology remains one of the few areas where the idea of progress is still seen as credible. Nine out of ten European executives believe digital technologies can help create a better world, and three quarters feel they have had a positive impact on their daily lives.
In fact, technology stands out as the only major domain whose evolution has been perceived as mostly positive in recent years, well ahead of other societal transformations. This trust is rooted in concrete experience, what actually works in everyday life, rather than in any ideological vision of progress.
This confidence is also very clearly reflected in individuals’ relationship with artificial intelligence. AI is no longer seen as an abstract promise but as an already integrated tool. Nearly two-thirds of executives use it regularly in their personal lives, often to access information, rephrase content, or save time.
At work, 65% report that their organization already uses AI, and 76% of users say it improves their productivity. At this level, AI is experienced as a practical aid (a natural extension of existing digital tools) rather than a radical disruption.
But this perception changes as soon as we move away from the individual level. When executives consider their professional environment or society as a whole, they become significantly more skeptical.
This collective unease is reflected in practices. Four out of ten executives admit to using AI tools at work without informing their management; a phenomenon of “shadow AI” that is far more widespread than the general use of unauthorized software. This figure does not reflect a rejection of rules, but rather a gap between the speed of adoption and that of governance frameworks.
Individuals are moving faster than organizations, due to a lack of clear, shared, and operational guidelines.
To this are added more structural concerns. Nearly two-thirds of executive users say they are worried about the collection and use of their personal data through AI. Cyberattacks are also a concern for nearly six out of ten executives, highlighting that the widespread adoption of these tools increases both benefits and areas of vulnerability.
This collective skepticism extends to perceptions of institutions. While 60% of executives consider the digital transformation of public services to be generally satisfactory, disparities between countries remain significant and expectations are still high.
Nearly seven out of ten believe it is essential to retain human advisors, considering that neither AI nor chatbots can address every situation. Finally, fewer than one in two European executives express confidence in the European Union’s ability to become a technological leader, despite the already widespread use of these technologies in practice.
AI and technology are already integrated into daily and professional life across Europe. The challenge is no longer adoption, but the ability to scale these uses with the right governance, transparency, and execution.
The European Research Center highlights a key turning point: trust already exists — organizations and institutions must now transform it into sustainable collective progress.