Artificial Intelligence Adoption and Labour Productivity in Slovakia and the EU27: Implications for Sustainable Economic Growth

This study analyses the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in enterprises in Slovakia in comparison with the EU27 and examines its relationship with labour productivity from the perspective of long-term economic sustainability. Using harmonised Eurostat data for the period 2021–2024, the analysis applies descriptive statistics, gap analysis, dynamics of change, correlation analysis, and an illustrative regression model. The results show that although AI adoption in Slovakia increased across all enterprise size classes, it consistently remained below the EU27 average. Labour productivity developments in Slovakia were characterised by substantial short-term volatility and did not show a stable association with AI diffusion. Both correlation and illustrative regression results confirm the absence of an immediate statistical relationship between AI adoption and productivity at the aggregate level. These findings suggest that potential productivity improvements associated with AI adoption are likely to depend on complementary investments in organisational transformation, digital skills, and institutional capacity. The study provides empirical evidence for a small open economy within the EU and offers policy-relevant insights into how AI adoption is more likely to support long-term economic sustainability than short-term performance gain.