Artificial Intelligence in the Workplace: 84% of Portuguese Workers Use AI, But Companies Lag Behind

While AI adoption in the Portugal workplace has reached an all-time high, organizational integration tells a very different story. According to Cegid's study "The Moment of Truth for AI in Companies," individual usage has surged to 84% among Portuguese professionals (up from 65% in 2025). However, corporate policies and formal systems have failed to keep pace, driving widespread "Shadow AI" practices across sectors.

Key Findings Breakdown

• Massive Year-over-Year Growth: Workplace AI usage surged from 65% in 2025 to 84% in 2026.
• Heavy Decision-Making Reliance: 44% of professionals systematically rely on AI for critical business decisions—a figure that climbs to 57% among workers aged 18–29 and 53% in Public Administration.
• Widespread "Shadow AI" Practices: 69% of workers admit to using unapproved external AI tools without informing management, peaking at 77% in Public Administration and 63% in commerce.
• Lagging Corporate Integration: Only 41% of respondents report partial or full AI integration within their organization's daily activities, with just 6% experiencing complete integration.
• Surging Positive Sentiment: Positive perception toward AI in the workplace reached 76% (up from 59% in 2025), rising to 86% among younger employees, while overall concern fell to 23%.

The Corporate Integration Gap

As artificial intelligence in Portuguese companies transitions from an experimental novelty into a daily staple, leaders face a structural challenge. The study reveals that nearly seven out of ten employees rely on personal, unapproved AI tools to complete their daily assignments.

"The challenge now is to reduce the gap between individual use and the integration of AI in organizations."

— Paulo Carvalho, General Manager of Cegid Portugal & Africa

Without formal governance and enterprise-grade infrastructure, organizations risk exposing sensitive company data to public LLM models while missing out on standardized efficiency gains. Addressing these workplace AI trends in Portugal will require companies to shift from informal allowance to structured, secure deployment.

Stay updated on workforce analytics and market shifts by reading our latest tech news. To explore flexible workspace options for high-performing engineering teams, browse coworking spaces in Portugal.