EY 2026 Barometer: Tunisian Companies Face Structural Barriers to AI Adoption
The EY 2026 barometer, presented on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at the Ernst & Young headquarters, highlights the structural barriers to AI adoption by Tunisian companies, which are more significant than temporary obstacles. These barriers include a lack of understanding of AI, the absence of dedicated budgets, weak data governance, and difficulties in concretizing projects into tangible results.
Two Major Expectations
Two major expectations emerge from the barometer:
- Economic and Social Expectations: Creating more wealth is essential. As Sarra Masmoudi from the Kilani group emphasized, "To survive, we must invest." However, growth, which is close to 2.6%, has been driven mainly by local consumption, while the trade deficit has hindered overall progress. Without this constraint, growth could have been higher.
- Investment Climate: The investment climate is still considered insufficient. This depends not only on regulatory texts and tax incentives but also on confidence, visibility, and stability of the rules of the game.
Five Key Barriers to AI Adoption
The barometer identifies five key barriers to AI adoption:
- Cultural Barrier: AI is often seen as a technical tool or a luxury, without a profound transformation of managerial leadership. Without the commitment of management and the involvement of departments, initiatives remain superficial.
- Essential Foundation of AI: According to international expert Dr. Nozha Boujemaa, "Responsible AI is a mastered issue." Companies lack investments in data collection, structuring, and quality, rushing into AI without preparing the ground.
- Budgetary Barrier: One-third of organizations do not allocate any funds to AI, either for testing or deployment, reflecting a caution that relegates this tool to a non-strategic priority.
- Return on Investment: Tools purchased without a clear strategy or specific use case generate little value, with AI becoming profitable only when integrated into concrete business needs.
- Skills Shortage: The shortage of skills, not only technical but also in strategic vision, change management, and link with business priorities, hinders AI adoption.
Economic Context and AI Adoption
The economic context, including fiscal pressure, instability, and high bank claims, exacerbates these barriers, relegating AI to secondary importance behind immediate urgencies.
Current State of AI in Tunisia
Despite a more positive perception of leaders in an uncertain geopolitical climate, AI remains emerging in Tunisia. A recent survey confirms that adoption depends on internal prerequisites: lack of skills (20%), budget constraints (18%), data quality/availability (13%), and cybersecurity/data protection (11%). Cybersecurity is less of a concern than human challenges.
Governance and AI Adoption
Only 4% of companies have fully integrated AI governance, forming a pioneering core. In summary, AI requires solid data governance, security standards, and a long-term vision to transform discourse into sustainable impacts.
