OpenAI highlights Europe’s gap in advanced AI use

European businesses are rapidly adopting AI agents but trail global leaders in intensive use, according to OpenAI. Weekly active use among small and medium-sized businesses in the EU increased more than eightfold between early May and October 5, 2026. OpenAI linked the growth to the introduction of ChatGPT Work in July.

Agents used through Codex and ChatGPT Work accounted for more than 50 per cent of output tokens generated by EU firms by the end of September. The analysis covered ChatGPT Enterprise and Business accounts. Adoption varied substantially: Lithuania’s agentic share reached 85 per cent of output tokens in September, while Slovenia’s stood at 22 per cent.

EU-based companies represented nearly 10 per cent of global frontier firms, defined as the top 10 per cent of businesses by AI output tokens per active user. North America accounted for around 65 per cent. Global frontier firms outside the EU generated more than twice the output of their European counterparts, highlighting a gap even among the region’s most intensive users.

OpenAI urged businesses to move beyond experimentation toward tools that complete tasks from planning through execution. It identified affordable access to advanced capabilities, alongside workers’ skills and confidence, as priorities for improving business performance and productivity.