AI is gaining ground in French firms: rapid diffusion but productivity gains are so far limited

Bulletin No. 266, article 1. Artificial intelligence (AI) is spreading rapidly among French firms: at the start of 2026, more than two-thirds of firms with 20 or more employees reported using generative AI tools. This figure nonetheless masks wide disparities in use. Most firms have primarily adopted general-purpose AI tools, notably for support and cross-functional activities such as sales and administration. By contrast, more knowledge-intensive sectors use AI for specialised purposes and have integrated it more deeply into their production and innovation processes.