Nicosia: The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is witnessing a significant rise across enterprises in Cyprus, with large enterprises spearheading this trend. This development is highlighted by the recent survey on the usage of ICT and e-commerce in enterprises for 2024, published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the survey indicates that in 2024, 7.9% of all enterprises utilized AI technologies, a notable increase from 4.7% in 2023. The growth is predominantly driven by large enterprises, where AI adoption jumped from 13% in 2021 to 34.9% in 2024. Medium and small enterprises also showed increased AI adoption, with figures standing at 14.3% and 6.3%, respectively, in 2024.
The survey also sheds light on the increasing reliance on remote work and digital communication tools. In 2024, a substantial 84.1% of enterprises with 10 or more employees provided portable devices for internet connectivity, with many coveri
ng the associated costs. Furthermore, 59.1% of all enterprises conducted remote meetings via platforms like Skype, Zoom, and MS Teams.
E-commerce continues to expand, with 23.5% of enterprises receiving orders for goods and services through computer networks in 2023. Orders via websites or apps accounted for 22.7%, while EDI-type messages constituted 2.5%. Notably, 17.1% of enterprises received orders through their own websites or apps.
Advertising on the internet has also seen a surge, with 49.4% of enterprises investing in online advertisements in 2024, nearly doubling the figures from 2016. Among these, 43.5% targeted ads based on geolocation, while 38.4% focused on content or keywords searched by users.
ICT specialists play a crucial role in this technological advancement, with 27.5% of enterprises employing such professionals in 2024. Large enterprises lead with 85.8% employing ICT specialists, followed by medium (49.6%) and small enterprises (22.8%). However, the training in ICT skills remains low, w
ith only 15.3% of enterprises providing training to ICT specialists and 27% to other employees in 2023.
ICT security remains a top priority, with enterprises employing various measures to protect their data and systems. The most common practices include strong password authentication (95%), data backup to separate locations (90%), and network access control (73.9%).