On March 12, 2026, the World Bank published the report Innovation Rising: Lifting Central and Eastern Europe's Jobs and Growth Potential — the annual EU Regular Economic Report edition, this time focused on Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania. I read reports like these because they contain data you won't find in industry presentations. And this time, I found a statement that should be on the agenda of every Board of Directors in Poland.
It reads: Polish and Central European companies could increase labor productivity by 10-15% — solely through broader adoption of digital tools, including AI. Not through new hires. Not through new machinery investments. Through technology that already exists and is readily available.
The Paradox Most Boards Prefer to Ignore
In Poland, 26% of corporate investment goes into intangible assets — software, data, know-how. The EU average is 37%. This gap is no longer a technical problem. It is a decision-making problem — one that sits with Boards, not IT departments.
Meanwhile, most discussions in Polish companies revolve around something else entirely: whether AI will take away jobs. Gartner's forecast for 2030 answers this question unequivocally — globally, AI will create more jobs than it eliminates. By 2031, over 30 million positions per year will be redesigned, not eliminated.
Hence my conclusion: AI is not a threat to your employees. It is a threat to companies that wait for more certainty instead of taking action.
Who Is Actually Losing Their Job Because of AI
From my observations, AI doesn't take jobs. A person who uses AI takes the job — from someone who refuses to use it.
This is not a metaphor. It is a market mechanism already at work today. A single employee with a well-calibrated AI tool does work that a year ago required two or three people. Not because they are smarter. Because they upskilled.
The right question for the Board is therefore not: "Will AI replace my employees?" It is: "Are my people ready to work with AI — and who in this company is responsible for making that happen?"
My Takeaway for Boards
The World Bank report does not describe a technological revolution. It describes a decision-making gap — between what is possible and what companies in Poland are actually doing.
I am currently preparing a report based on interviews with CEOs of major Polish companies — about how they perceive the changes driven by generative AI today and how they are responding. The early findings are surprising. I will share the details soon.
The World Bank report Innovation Rising is available free of charge at worldbank.org/en/region/eca/publication/eurer
Dear Reader, if you believe this topic is relevant to your company and would like to discuss with me and your Board how to translate these data points into a concrete AI strategy — I invite you to get in touch. Leszek Giza.