A new World Bank report projects that artificial intelligence could lift Poland's economy by 12% by 2035, potentially shrinking the gap with Western Europe. The study, released Wednesday in Warsaw, lays out how AI integration might boost productivity across manufacturing, services, and public administration.
What the report says
The report estimates that AI could add roughly 12% to Poland's gross domestic product by the middle of the next decade. That's not an automatic gain — it depends on how quickly businesses and government agencies adopt the technology. The World Bank's analysts say Poland already has a strong base in digital infrastructure and a relatively tech-literate workforce, but lags behind wealthier EU members in AI investment and research.
“Poland stands at a crossroads,” one of the report's authors told reporters. “The next few years will determine whether it becomes a regional AI hub or falls further behind.”
Where the growth would come from
Most of the projected boost would come from manufacturing — Poland's biggest economic sector. The report says AI tools for predictive maintenance, quality control, and supply-chain optimization could cut costs and raise output. Services, especially finance and logistics, would also benefit. In the public sector, AI could streamline tax collection, healthcare diagnostics, and traffic management.
The World Bank notes that Poland's current spending on AI research and development is roughly half the EU average per capita. Closing that gap, the report argues, would require a mix of public grants, tax incentives for private R&D, and more university-industry partnerships.
The competitiveness angle
The report frames AI adoption as a way to narrow the economic divide between Poland and richer nations like Germany and France. Poland's GDP per capita is currently about 70% of the EU average. The World Bank says that with aggressive AI integration, that figure could rise to 80% or more by 2035. Without it, the gap might widen as other countries automate faster.
“This isn't just about technology — it's about whether Poland can keep its best talent and attract foreign investment,” one economist familiar with the report's findings told the paper. “AI is the lever. The question is how hard and how fast the country pulls it.”
What comes next
The Polish government has already launched a national AI strategy, but the World Bank report urges a faster timeline and more concrete targets. The Ministry of Digital Affairs is expected to release an updated policy paper later this year. Meanwhile, business groups are pushing for a dedicated AI fund and changes to labor laws that would make it easier to retrain workers displaced by automation.
The report's authors will present their findings to Polish lawmakers in a closed session next month. No vote or binding resolution is expected, but the session could shape the next round of budget negotiations for AI-related programs.
