Inside Adopt AI 2025: understanding today’s AI landscape through first-hand insights
With the first anniversary of AI World approaching, the AI World team had the opportunity to attend the two-day Adopt AI conference, which took place on 25-26 November at the Grand Palais in Paris. Designed as a continuation of the AI Action Summit that took place in February, but this time with a business focus, the event brought together business leaders and policymakers to assess the current state of AI adoption in Europe.
Organised by Artefact, a global consulting firm specialising in data transformation and AI acceleration, Adopt AI attracted over 20,000 attendees, 600 speakers and 250 exhibitors, and aimed to provide a unique environment for gathering insights into the current state of enterprise AI. With multiple thematic tracks, ranging from AI for Finance and AI for Industry to AI for the Planet, the event showcased the breadth of innovation currently underway.
Between panels and conversations, a clear theme emerged. Many companies are testing a wide range of internal use cases, guided by a single question, how to embed AI meaningfully across the organisation rather than create isolated tools. This naturally opened broader discussions on policy and competitiveness, how to align operational adoption with Europe’s evolving regulatory framework. For larger enterprises, the emphasis was on building governance that will meet upcoming compliance expectations; for the start-ups showcasing in the demo spaces, the focus was scale, how to grow under the AI regulations and Europe’s push for technological sovereignty.
Beyond strategy, education emerged as a critical lever. Leaders discussed not only training employees to use AI effectively, but also the responsibility of educating customers. Several CEOs emphasised the importance of becoming 'customer zero', testing and applying AI internally before bringing it to market. The underlying message was clear: there is always a way to incorporate AI into an organisation's activities, but the difference lies in how people learn to use it.
When looking across industries, sector differences were equally notable. Finance teams focused on risk modelling and compliance automation. In contrast, marketing leaders highlighted AI’s role in accelerating creativity, scaling up content and enabling personalised engagement. Meanwhile, discussions around defence and aerospace, Airbus being a key example, illustrated the other end of the spectrum. AI can support strategic choices by simplifying complex information, but the final decision to act or not act must remain human. This contrast emphasised a key principle that was reiterated throughout the event, which is the importance of keeping humans at the centre of decision-making, especially in specific tasks.
Underlying all of this was a recurring conversation: trust. Not only trust in AI, but trust as a variable that shapes adoption. Companies shared how user confidence affects the speed of rollout, the uptake of teams and customer readiness. At the same time, many are exploring new markets where AI can provide immediate operational leverage or competitive differentiation.
The event concluded with a closing address from French President Emmanuel Macron, underscoring its significance on both the national and international stage. Adopt AI proved to be a space where policy, business priorities and practical implementation came together. For the tech community, it sent out a clear message: AI adoption is accelerating, and the organisations that adapt most quickly will drive the next wave of innovation.