Georgian Businesses Cite AI Skills Gap as Top Barrier, Survey Finds

Most Georgian businesses that want to use artificial intelligence aren’t held back by a lack of interest — they say they simply don’t know how, according to a survey published this week by the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).

The survey, released August 21, found that 62% of respondents already use AI tools in their work, mostly for content creation, marketing, and finding information. But self-assessed skill levels are low: 45% rated their own AI knowledge as basic, 27% as intermediate, and only 8% called themselves advanced or expert.

Skills, not interest, are the bottleneck

Asked what’s holding back further use of AI, 72% of respondents pointed to a lack of knowledge as the main barrier, ahead of limited financial resources and a shortage of qualified staff. That tracks with what businesses say they actually want: 78% asked for specialized training, and 51% want consulting or mentoring to help them adopt AI tools.

The findings echo an earlier survey by the Business Association of Georgia, which put overall AI adoption among member companies at 84% — a reminder that different samples and questions can produce very different adoption snapshots, even as they point to the same underlying trend of fast, uneven uptake.

Georgia bets on catching up

Despite the skills gap, confidence in AI’s importance is high: 72% of respondents said AI development is very important for Georgia’s economy, and close to half expect it to become a decisive or necessary factor for their sector’s competitiveness within one to two years.

GCCI said it plans to expand its own educational and consulting programs in response, building on courses it has already run this year, including an AI-for-business training session held in Batumi in early August. The chamber’s push adds to a broader wave of local activity around AI training and capacity-building, alongside Georgia’s fast-growing AI startup scene.

The survey did not disclose its full methodology, including sample size or exact field dates, beyond stating it targeted business-sector representatives across the country.