Comment l'IA impacte les PME en Wallonie et quels sont les facteurs influençant son adoption ?

Abstract

The study analyzes the impact of AI on SMEs in Wallonia and the factors that condition its adoption, with the aim of providing an evidence-based account of actually deployed uses and their dynamics of appropriation. It is situated within a context of promises of efficiency and societal risks, and asks: “How does AI affect SMEs in Wallonia, and which factors influence its adoption?” The methodology relies on semi-structured interviews with field practitioners and an inductive, two cycle qualitative coding. Nine families of factors emerge; use cases are distinguished between sector specific and cross-cutting, and operative distinctions are drawn between mass-market generative AI and targeted solutions, as well as between “internal” and “external” solutions. Observed uses notably include software-development assistance, construction pre-visualization, geospatial analysis, and the optimization of marketing campaigns. The principal drivers identified are productivity gains, improved decision quality, creativity, and new value propositions; barriers concern reliability, the need for a critical mindset, and a central trade-off between data security, performance, and costs, mediated by data, skills, and organizational culture. From a regulatory perspective, the AI Act chiefly imposes light obligations on deployers of non-“high risk” systems and provides relief measures and regulatory sandboxes for SMEs. Prospects include quantitative measurement, sectoral analyses, and examination of the regional ecosystem’s role.