Romania ranks 13th globally in AI outsourcing readiness

Romania has secured the 13th position worldwide in the 2026 Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index, an impressive feat that highlights its potential in the field of artificial intelligence. However, it finds itself at the bottom among Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

The study analyzed 25 outsourcing destinations globally, focusing on key indicators such as public adoption of AI, workforce literacy in AI, corporate readiness and adoption of AI, and the educational system's capacity to train AI specialists. While Romania and Poland both scored 59.4 points, Poland ranks slightly higher at 11th place.

In comparison, Hungary leads the CEE region with a score of 69.1, followed by the Czech Republic at 66.9 points and Bulgaria at 62.8 points. The average score for CEE stands at 63.88 out of 100 for AI readiness, suggesting a promising environment for the next wave of outsourcing influenced by AI.

The educational pipeline for AI in CEE has shown a robust average score of 70, indicating a strong foundation for training the next generation of AI specialists. Notably, the Czech Republic excelled in AI training programs, ranking third globally with a score of 81, and Poland fifth with 74.

The region's potential is evidenced by the fact that five of the top 15 outsourcing destinations are in Central and Eastern Europe. As the traditional low-cost outsourcing model reaches its limits, the emphasis on AI presents a new opportunity for growth.

Globally, the scores reflect a varied landscape, with India, Brazil, and Malaysia leading the top positions. The data used for these scores come from reputable sources such as Microsoft, Cloudflare Radar, OpenAI, OECD, LinkedIn, Coursera Enterprise, and GitHub, ensuring a comprehensive overview of the current situation across nations.