The latest information technology surveys conducted by Statistics Estonia show that the use of artificial intelligence increased significantly in 2026 compared with the year before – AI use was up both among enterprises and individuals, with the use of AI tools for private purposes rising by 53%. 

There was also a rise in the use of internet-connected devices, such as smart TVs and smart watches.

Luisa Nuka, an analyst at Statistics Estonia, the country’s official statistics agency, said that, year on year, the use of artificial intelligence grew 1.4 times among households and 1.5 times among enterprises. 

“This is probably related to the wider availability of AI-based tools and services and their integration into our daily lives. The use of AI increased the most in age group 65–74, where the share of users grew more than twice,” Nuka said. 

There was also a notable rise in AI use among 35–44-year-olds. 

The use of AI by age group. Chart by Statistics Estonia.

AI more and more applied in daily life

“The use of AI did not show such growth among young people, because the share of AI users was already high. Of all age groups, young people still have the highest share of AI users – 90%,” she added.

The share of people not using AI continues to decline. The main reason for not using AI was that there was no need. Among non-users, only 1.4% said that they did not know that AI existed, which shows that there is a high level of public awareness of artificial intelligence.

Enterprises are increasingly using AI for natural language generation. Compared with 2025, the share of enterprises doing this grew by 11.1 percentage points. The share of enterprises using AI to generate photos and videos was up by seven percentage points. 

“The growing use of AI by people and by enterprises shows that these technologies are more and more common and are being applied in daily life as well as in work processes,” Nuka noted.

The number of users of internet-connected devices. Chart by Statistics Estonia.

TVs and wearables the most popular smart devices

The 2026 data show that the use of internet-connected devices has increased significantly compared with 2024. 

“Their use has grown in each area, suggesting that smart technologies are becoming a natural part of life,” Nuka asserted.

The most popular internet-connected devices are still smart TVs, smart watches and other wearables, and various internet-connected home appliances. There has been more interest in smart solutions for energy management, such as internet-connected thermostats, utility meters, lights, and other devices for tracking household energy use – their use was up by 28%.

“On the one hand, the prices of smart devices have become more affordable over time, and the devices are easier to use, which supports their more frequent use. On the other hand, people are more aware of the possibilities for energy management, for enhancing security at home and for automating everyday activities,” the analyst added. 

Wearables, like smart watches, are among the most popular internet-connected devices in Estonia. Photo by Al Amin Mir on Unsplash.

Health and wellness devices become more common

Devices related to health and wellness have also become much more common. Compared with 2024, there has been a 14% rise in the use of smart watches, fitness trackers and other wearable devices for tracking the level of physical activity, and also internet-connected devices for monitoring blood pressure, sugar levels or body weight, for example. 

Compared with 2024, the biggest increase was recorded in the use of cars with a built-in wireless internet connection – up by 36%. At the same time, there has been a decrease in the share of people who have not used any internet-connected devices.

Compared with 2025, the use of various privacy and data protection measures has remained mostly the same. There was a slight increase in the share of people who did not allow using their personal data for advertising purposes – up by 12% from 2025.

There are notable differences between age groups in terms of their awareness of data protection measures. Only 14% of 65–74-year-olds had restricted or refused access to their geographical location. The corresponding share was 69% in age group 16–24 and 63% in age group 35–44. In the younger age groups, there were also much more of those who refused allowing the use of personal data for advertising purposes: this share was 63.7% in age group 16–24 and 64.5% in age group 35–44 but only 20.6% in age group 65–74. 

Estonian companies are paying more attention to security measures in order to protect their data and prevent security incidents. Photo by FlyD on Unsplash.

Companies more security-aware

According to the analyst, younger people are more tech-savvy and more active internet users, which explains their greater awareness of privacy and data protection. 

“More frequent use of various digital services and apps increases awareness of privacy-related risks as well as of the ways to protect your personal data,” Nuka noted.

Enterprises are paying more attention to security measures in order to protect their data and prevent security incidents. The information and communication technology security measures that enterprises use most often are data backup (backing up data to a separate location) and two-factor user authentication. ICT risk assessments are used much less often than technical security measures. 

“This indicates that enterprises are more focused on immediate protection and not so much on systematic risk assessment and prevention,” Nuka said.