The State of Generative AI in the Nordics

Deloitte’s Global Q3 State of Generative AI in the Enterprise survey highlighted the barriers enterprises face when scaling their GenAI experiments and how they are overcoming these challenges. This Nordic cut, based on 170 responses, zooms in on the situation in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.

As global leaders in digital infrastructure and with high levels of societal trust, Nordic countries have strong foundations to quickly adopt and harness the benefits of AI. However, Nordic enterprises face distinct challenges in scaling their GenAI experiments – these need to be addressed to fully realise GenAI's potential.  

Developing a holistic vision and strategy for GenAI with robust support from top management is crucial. By identifying and exploring use cases that seamlessly integrate GenAI into operational business processes, and by establishing strong governance structures, Nordic enterprises can significantly advance their GenAI transformation journeys.    
 

”Our survey indicates that less than 40% of top management in Danish organizations shows high interest in generative AI, while this number is more than 60% percent for global respondents. This lack of interest in AI from the top of companies can be a hindrance to development and make Denmark fall behind in the AI race. If AI is not a high priority in top management, the technology becomes disconnected from the strategy, which can lead to a half-hearted implementation and cast doubt on the potential of AI technology as a driver of change.”

- Michael Winther, Nordic AI lead in Deloitte.

Key findings from the Q3 report:

Value drivers 

• Increasing investments but lack of top management interest: Nordic enterprises are already seeing strong value from GenAI with 77% ramping up investments, yet there is strikingly lower interest from top management, compared to executives in other regions. This disconnect could be a barrier to value realisation at scale.
• Diverse value realisation: Nordic respondents aim for improved efficiency (45%), innovation (34%), and enhanced client relationships (32%). However, half of them report achieving unexpected benefits, highlighting the diverse potential of GenAI. 
   

Striving to scale

• High preparedness but lack of scaling: While more than half of the Nordic enterprises express high confidence in their GenAI expertise and preparedness, only 35% have moved a significant portion (+30%) of their GenAI experiments into production, compared to 53% globally.
• Barriers to scaling: Key barriers include managing risks, lack of a governance model, and absence of a clear adoption strategy. 

Building trust & mitigating risks

• Trust versus vigilance: Trust in GenAI is notably higher in the Nordics, with 53% having high trust, compared to 35% globally. This provides a solid foundation for adoption but could also create a false sense of security.
• Fewer risk-mitigating actions: Despite the high trust, Nordic enterprises are taking fewer actions to mitigate GenAI-related risks. Only 25% report training practitioners in managing GenAI risk, versus 37% globally, and only 20% have formal groups advising on risks, compared to 30% globally.  
   

Evolving the workforce

• Conflicting expectations to immediate headcount changes: 38% of Nordic enterprises expect increased headcount within the next year due to the impact of GenAI. However, 28% anticipate a decrease in headcount, reflecting a dual narrative of some expecting growth and other foreseeing efficiency gains to reduce workforce needs. 
• Limited access to approved tools: Over half of the respondents report that less than 20% of their workforce have access to approved GenAI tools, which is much lower than the global average. Limited access to tools and applications could hinder the full realisation of GenAI benefits in the Nordics.  
   

Despite the modest interest at the management level, trust in generative AI is remarkably high in the Nordic countries. A full 66 percent of the surveyed Danish companies indicate that they have high confidence in the new, available AI tools that have emerged in recent years. This high level of trust is only characteristic of 35 percent of respondents in the global survey.
 

"While the high trust in the technology gives Danish companies a head start in the AI race, it is vital not to trust technology so much that necessary risk management initiatives becomes underprioritised. For, it seems that the biggest challenge remains to scale generative AI initiatives caused by a lack of governance, risk management, and clear adoption strategies. A more structured and coordinated approach is necessary to overcome these barriers.”

- Michael Winther, Nordic AI lead in Deloitte