The Observatory 2026 of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability reveals a distance between declared capabilities and actual use. Epifani requests simple incentives, capillary and case-based ones. The main point highlighted by the Observatory does not therefore concern an explicit rejection of artificial intelligence, but uncertainty about its function.

According to information published by Repubblica Economia, 47% of small businesses that did not use artificial intelligence were motivated by this choice because they lacked understanding of its utility. The problem described by the research places itself in the phase where the business should translate general technology into applicable tools for their activity. This percentage assumes significance as it identifies a difficulty of orientation: before even valuing costs, benefits or modes of adoption, a substantial part of small businesses fails to establish for which operational needs the artificial intelligence could be used.

The available source does not provide further details on the composition of the sample, sectors analyzed or territorial distribution of involved companies; these aspects remain unspecified. Stefano Epifani, president of the Foundation for Digital Sustainability, interprets the result as a signal of a distance between perception of one's abilities and effective use of instruments. He says that exists a gap between declared capabilities and their practical application.

It is in this passage, from perceived knowledge to concrete usage, that innovation encounters one of its obstacles. An observation introduces an important distinction. To declare familiarity or competence with respect to a technology does not necessarily mean being able to integrate it into processes of an enterprise.

In the case of micro-enterprises called up by the Observatory, the data of 47% indicates that absence of recognizable usefulness directly affects decision-making not to adopt artificial intelligence. The source does not specify what applications are already diffused or what results more difficult to understand. Epifani connects this distance also to how support policies are built.

At his judgment, incentives for innovation should have three characteristics: simple, reaching productive fabric in capillary manner and based on concrete cases. This indication suggests that availability of a technology alone or its notoriety do not suffice to produce its actual use in small businesses. Simplicity evoked by the president refers to need to make accessible path towards innovation.

Capillarity invoked instead requires reaching platea fragmented like that of micro-enterprises. Reference to concrete cases finally spares attention from abstract description of artificial intelligence to demonstration of possible functions. These lines indicated by Epifani whereas available source does not report specific measures, resources available or programs already defined.

The presented picture by the Observatory 2026 puts therefore at center question of application rather than sole knowledge. If almost half of considered micro-enterprises did not use artificial intelligence because lacked understanding of its purpose, the gap to be filled concerns relationship between technological instruments and daily activity. There are no elements provided for distinguishing weight of different barriers to adoption.

Information published reports motivation indicated by 47% of micro-enterprises which did not use artificial intelligence but does not present other reasons rilevated by the Observatory. Therefore it is impossible according to base information available to compare uncertainty about utility with eventual obstacles economic, organizational or related competencies. Data remains netted in significance: for substantial part of smaller companies first interrogative concern whether to use artificial intelligence or why not.

Analysis of Foundation as reported by Repubblica Economia identifies practical application point weakness and case-based leverage possibility to reduce distance described by Epifani. Developments will depend on capacity of initiatives for innovation translate this indication into accessible and diffused tools. Remain unknown methodology complete of the Observatory, profile of interviewed enterprises, other motivations lack of adoptions and eventuality comparison time.

Are these necessary elements required measure with more precision possible.