AI in Europe: Vector of Progress or Inequalities?
The First European AI Barometer by JFD sets the tone
JFD – Join Forces and Dare – unveils its 13th annual study with the publication of the first European barometer dedicated to artificial intelligence. This unique analysis explores in depth the impacts, opportunities and challenges of AI in 8 economic sectors across 8 European countries. Presented to the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and to Clara Chappaz, French Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy, at the AI Action Summit, the JFD study, carried out with EY Fabernovel, OpinionWay and a committee of international economic players pioneering AI, presents concrete recommendations for making AI a real vector for progress, in a context where it is radically transforming businesses and societies.
In this respect, the first results are encouraging while calling to go further:
65% of the companies surveyed have a Head of AI sitting on the executive committee.
More than a quarter (29%) of Head of AI sitting on the executive committee of the companies surveyed are women.
More than half (51%) of the companies surveyed have implemented protocols to test and correct biases in their models.
88% of companies plan to increase their investments in AI over the next 12 months.
25% of the companies surveyed have developed their own LLMs.
AI European Barometer by JFD – EY FABERNOVEL – OPINIONWAY – February 2025
Based on a consultation of more than 400 European leaders, enriched by analyzed public data and the expertise of an editorial committee of international economic actors, the 13th annual JFD study covers 8 European countries* and 8 sectors**.
Delphine Remy-Boutang, founder & CEO of JFD, declares: “The European AI Barometer by JFD is an essential compass to steer Europe towards a more responsible, competitive and successful AI. In 2025, JFD is using boldness and collective action to promote the emergence of women in AI with its ‘Women rAIsing’ campaign. The women who will succeed in AI will be those who know how to link tech and business. This is the blue ocean of AI: an immense space of opportunities up for grabs!”
With 26% of women in the AI sector in the European Union, compared to 22% worldwide, Europe shows an advance in terms of diversity. While parity remains a goal to be achieved, this progress reflects a positive dynamic that could make Europe a model of inclusion and diversity. By reinforcing this momentum, it can not only accelerate parity but also promote a more ethical, efficient, and therefore progressive AI for the whole of society.
The 5 pillars of measuring progress for society and the economy
For two years, artificial intelligence has become democratized. 2025 promises to be a pivotal year, as evidenced by the many ongoing projects worldwide. But can we ensure that this development rhymes with progress?
The first European AI barometer is based on five pillars of measurement to guide the development of a human-centered AI. A true tool of public interest, it contributes to shaping the technological future of France and Europe.
The European countries analyzed adopt a relatively uniform approach to AI, but France and the United Kingdom stand out for their maturity, major investments, and ethical initiatives.
- Access and Inclusion
Artificial intelligence is becoming a strategic issue for European companies, which are gradually integrating it at the highest level of their governance. Today, 65% of the companies surveyed have an AI manager within their executive committee. However, parity remains a challenge: only 29% of AI managers sitting on the executive committee of these companies are women (24% in France). This proportion reaches 38% in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The most exemplary sector in this regard is finance and insurance (51%).
- Technological Maturity and Sovereignty
While Europe is positioning itself as a key player in AI, challenges remain in terms of technological sovereignty. 74% of the companies surveyed have not developed their own language model (LLM), but most are studying the issue (61%). Currently, 14% of the 28 most used LLMs in the world are European, highlighting the need to accelerate innovation. Investment is an essential lever with dedicated strategies and major commitments in Germany (€3 billion), France (€1.5 billion), the United Kingdom (€1.16 billion) and Italy (€1 billion).
- Usage and Sectoral Transformation
AI is already transforming professions and ecosystems, according to 80% of the professionals surveyed. This leads companies to accelerate their AI adoption and investment strategy. Thus, 99% of the companies surveyed have already invested in AI, and among them, 40% allocate between 1 and 5% of their turnover to this technology. This trend should accelerate as 88% of companies plan to increase their investments in AI over the next 12 months.
In Spain, one in two companies allocates 6 to 10% of its turnover to AI (37% in France).
- Employment
AI is profoundly reshaping the labor market. 40% of global employment is exposed to AI-related transformations, with positive and negative impacts depending on the sector. In Europe, the most impacted function according to the companies surveyed is information systems (50%). However, its optimization potential is widely recognized: 95% of professionals believe it can increase employee productivity. The countries surveyed adopt a common and coherent vision of the potential of AI.
- Trust
Ethics and transparency remain major issues for responsible AI adoption. Today, 51% of the companies surveyed have implemented protocols to test and correct biases in their models. But only 33% of European companies have an ethics committee dedicated to AI, an essential lever for strengthening the trust of users and stakeholders.
The most advanced in this area is France (56%) and the sectors that stand out the most are automotive and transport (61%), and entertainment, media, and telecommunications (60%).
The call for collective action to make AI as responsible as it is efficient
Presented to the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, and to Clara Chappaz, French Minister for Artificial Intelligence and the Digital Economy, for the AI Action Summit, the European AI Barometer by JFD, designed with EY Fabernovel, OpinionWay and a committee of international economic players pioneering AI, aims to fuel the strategies of businesses, political decision-makers and civil society. The aim is to make AI a driver of progress for all, through concrete actions:
- Deploy parity-based training with proven models such as the Data & AI School as well as the La Poste group‘s internal training program “Objectif IA” with nearly 85,000 people having already received the training;
- Fostering the emergence of female talent, such as the Margaret Awards, the only women’s tech prize under the patronage of the President of the French Republic, or Eurazeo, which relies on female profiles combining tech and business to lead its transformation projects, both internally and for its acquisitions and investments.
- Reduce algorithmic bias through ethical charters and committees, as well as bias assessment and correction systems, adopted by players such as Allianz France, L’Oréal Group, Sanofi or IBM.
- Accelerate the careers of women and the growth of their businesses through mentoring and support initiatives such as the Carrefour Group‘s Carrefour.IA or Epitech‘s AI in the workplace courses, and JFD‘s support programmes – JFD Club, the Margaret with its 3 categories: entrepreneur, intrapreneur and junior.
- Inspire, mobilise and support from an early age, like EuraTechnologies with EuraTech’Kids or the Margaret Juniors, which open the doors of tech to new generations.
By adopting these measures on a large scale, Europe can not only reduce inequalities, but also transform innovation by placing people at the heart of AI development. With an approach focused on equality, competitiveness and responsibility, Europe can position itself as a world leader in high-performance and responsible artificial intelligence.
Read the European AI Barometer by JFD: https://www.joinjfd.com/en/studies/
Methodology of the European AI Barometer by JFD – February 2025:
- Documentary research and analysis of public data.
- Survey of more than 400 European executives (France, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Ireland) involved in AI decisions in companies with more than 250 employees.
- Editorial committees bringing together major economic players and JFD strategic partners.
- Interviews with more than 20 high-level executives, experts and technical directors.
Contributed to the European AI Barometer by JFD:
Allianz France: Isabelle Hébert – Member of the Executive Committee in charge of Data, Engagement, Marketing and Strategy, Laurence Bronner – Chief of staff to the Head of Data, Engagement, Marketing & Strategy, Mélanie Conrard – Brand Partnerships Manager;
Carrefour: Emmanuel Grenier – Executive Director E-commerce, Data and Digital Transformation, Miguel Gonzalez – Global & France Chief Digital Officer, Arnaud Grojean – Chief Data & Analytics Officer, Vania Pecheu-Bovet – Head of Global Data & AI Strategy;
Epitech: Laura Hassan – General Manager, Julien Perez – Program Director AI & Pedagogy Epita & Epitech Lab;
EuraTechnologies: Koussée Vaneecke – CEO;
Eurazeo: Domitille Doat-Le BigLe Bigot – Chief Digital and Information Officer;
EY Fabernovel: Jean-Christophe Liaubet, Caroline Martin, Melina Skourias – Partners;
La Poste Group: Nathalie Collin – Managing Director, Consumer and Digital Division, Pierre Etienne Bardin, Chief Data Officer, Matthieu Olivier – Transformation & Innovation Director, Data & AI;
L’Oréal Group: Béatrice Dautzenberg – International Director Beauty Tech Services, Ariane Thomas – Global Tech Director of Sustainability, Vanessa Masliah – L’Oréal Beauty Tech Communication Director;
JFD: Delphine Remy-Boutang – founder & CEO, Stephanie Elbaz – Head of Content, Laurence Lucas – Head of Partnerships, Mélissa Rancé – Head of Communications;
IBM: Béatrice Kosowski – President France, Alexandra Ruez – VP & Senior Partner, Business Transformation Services Leader IBM Consulting, Francesca Rossi – Fellow and AI Ethics Global Leader;
La French Tech: Julie Huguet – Director;
LinkedIn France: Fabienne Arata-Camps – Country Manager, Esther Ohayon – Head of Communications EMEA Core Markets;
Meetic Europe: Céline Boudière – Marketing & Digital Director, Gabrielle Gleysteen – Chief Product Officer;
Sanofi : Karine Boullier – Global Head of Upskilling Manufacturing & Supply, Inna Ben-Anat, AVP, Global Head of Smart Factories Manufacturing and Supply;
As well as Arver, Bpifrance, France Digitale and Hub FranceIA.
*France, United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Ireland.
**Automotive & Transport – Banking, Finance & Insurance – Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications – Education – Pharmaceuticals – FMCG – Utilities & Environment – Technology Services.
About JFD
JFD – Join Forces & Dare – is an international company founded in 2012 by Delphine Remy-Boutang. As a tech accelerator, JFD has been working for over 10 years to bring out the role models and leaders of tomorrow. Active in Europe, Africa and Canada, JFD brings together private, public and media players to help women enter the tech world. In 2025, JFD has put boldness and collective action at the heart of its project to ensure the emergence of inspiring women in AI through its women rAIsing campaign. For more than 10 years, JFD has been taking action with flagship initiatives such as the ‘Margaret’ awards under the high patronage of the President of the French Republic, the Margaret Foundation, the JFD Club, its events, the White Shirt Movement, etc. Through its actions, its annual studies and benchmark publications such as its latest book published by Flammarion: ‘Athletes of Innovation’, JFD has reached 20 million people, trained more than 10,000 talents and supported the growth of more than 1,000 start-ups.
JFD Press Contacts
Marie-Philippine Elbaz Méchet mp@mprp.fr / +336 60 65 20 65
Mélissa Rancé melissa@thebureau.fr / +336 63 13 62 55
Stéphanie Elbaz stephanie.elbaz@maior-conseil.com / +336 46 05 08 07
About EY Fabernovel
EY Fabernovel is an international company specialising in strategic transformation consulting and the creation of innovative products and services.
Founded in 2003 by Stéphane Distinguin, Fabernovel became EY Fabernovel on 5 July 2022, the result of a merger with EY Consulting to become the leader in the convergence of digital and ecological transitions in Europe. Fabernovel’s multi-disciplinary teams of developers, designers, creatives, analysts, data engineers and marketing specialists bring their convictions and solutions to bear across the entire digital value chain, from the consultancy phase to the production of products that are useful in everyday life, right through to marketing campaigns and the development of transformation strategies.
EY Fabernovel Press Contact: Amélie Fournier amelie.fournier@fr.ey.com / +336 34 27 50 47
About OpinionWay Group
Founded in 2000, OpinionWay is a pioneer in the digitalisation of research and has been a forerunner in renewing the practices of the marketing and opinion research profession. Our mission: to make the world intelligible so that we can act today and imagine tomorrow.
With continuous growth since its creation, the company has never stopped opening up to new horizons to better address all marketing and societal issues, BtoC & BtoB, by integrating Social Media Intelligence, the use of smart data, the creative dynamics of co-construction, community approaches, text mining and storytelling into its methodologies.
