The Netherlands Lacks AI Urgency: Time to Get Leaders and Employees Moving

Only 22.7 percent of Dutch companies with ten or more employees used one or more AI technologies in 2024. While this represents a growth of nearly nine percentage points compared to 2023 (source: CBS), it remains a stark contrast to the speed at which the rest of the world is scaling up. ‍The problem does not lie in our infrastructure or a lack of talent; it lies in a lack of urgency. This barrier is visible at two levels.

1. The ‘wait-and-see’ attitude at the top

Many Dutch executives still reason: “Let's wait and see until AI has proven itself.” This attitude was already risky during previous technological waves; with AI, delay is fatal. New market entrants build business models from day one with AI as the starting point. They innovate because they can – not only when they absolutely must. By the time an established player finally decides to move, their market share and margins have often already been eroded.

2. Non-committal adoption on the work floor

Within teams, there is also often a lack of drive to truly anchor AI in daily operations. A one-off prompting course or a mandatory tool demo does not change behavior structurally. Research by EY shows that only 66 percent of Dutch employees have experience with AI applications; in countries like Spain and Switzerland, this figure exceeds eighty percent. EY

Intrinsic motivation only arises when employees discover for themselves how AI can make their work more enjoyable, faster, and more creative. This requires a safe space for experimentation, continuous micro-learning, and a culture where successes and failures are shared openly.

How to build AI ambition

1. Connect AI to strategic goals. Make it clear how faster time-to-market, higher NPS, or lower costs depend directly on the smart use of AI.
2. Give one leader a mandate. Appoint a Chief AI & Data Officer with budget and authority; without ownership, AI remains a hobby on the sidelines.
3. Start small, scale fast. Choose a handful of processes with high data volume and visible impact – such as predictive maintenance or customer service automation – and measure hard euros as well as soft KPIs.
4. Make learning permanent. Establish an internal AI academy, organize lunch-and-learns, and have champions share best practices. Continuity beats a 'stick behind the door'.
5. Anchor trust and governance. Establish clear guidelines for ethics and privacy, so everyone can experiment safely without creating uncontrolled proliferation.

Conclusion

The Netherlands has the knowledge, the data infrastructure, and a vibrant startup climate, but it is missing opportunities due to a lack of urgency. Companies that accelerate now will benefit from a head start; those that wait risk being overtaken by more flexible competitors – both domestically and far beyond.

What is your organization doing this month to create AI urgency? Share your plans or successes; together we can raise the bar for the Netherlands.

// About the author

Job van den Berg

Mede-oprichter, AI Keynote Spreker & Techondernemer

Tech-ondernemer (1989) met een achtergrond als socioloog (Research Master (MSc) in statistiek en sociologie) en een van de meest gevraagde keynote sprekers over AI en data in Nederland. Als mede-oprichter van Ai.nl, The Automation Group en Proxies leidt hij engineers die agentic AI van prototype naar productie brengen binnen enterprises. Op het podium vertaalt Job die hands-on praktijk naar concrete strategieën. Eerder was Job Chief Data bij o.a. DPG Media en Kantar. Hij is co-auteur van 5 boeken over AI waaronder 'AI Agents' en 'Handboek AI Strategie' en een veelgevraagd expert in de landelijke media.

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