Artificial intelligence adoption is advancing in the UK, but business returns remain below those reported in six other major markets. The second wave of Infor’s Enterprise AI Adoption Impact Index surveyed more than 2,100 business leaders and AI decision-makers across seven countries.
UK respondents reported a 23% average efficiency gain over the past year, compared with 34% across the other markets. Full-scale deployment rose from 21.8% to 23.6%, while partial deployment brings the share of businesses using AI in some form above 60%. Half of UK companies plan to increase AI investment over the next year.
Confidence in implementation has weakened, however. The proportion confident that AI could be rolled out without disrupting operations fell from 75% to 66%. Comfort with autonomous agents managing routine-to-critical processes dropped from 11.7% to 6.3%. Human review is required by 53% of UK respondents, the highest level among the surveyed markets.
Companies are seeking practical outcomes, particularly less routine work, lower operating costs and automated workflows. Yet 67% said off-the-shelf solutions do not adequately reflect their business or industry requirements.
Data and governance remain significant constraints. Only 62% considered their data mature and well governed enough for dependable AI. Legacy or disconnected systems raised integration and readiness costs for 24% and slowed deployment for 22%. In 14% of businesses, no single person owns AI governance, risk or compliance, while 28% cited regulatory concerns.
The gap is also visible by company size: 40% of small UK businesses reported no AI deployment, against 9% of large firms. The results underline the commercial importance of industry-specific systems that combine automation with clear oversight and accountability.
A multilingual professional experienced in Europe, Canada, and China, Herbert has developed invaluable networks in the automotive and energy industries. He has led high-profile projects involving ENBW, Mercedes-Benz Group, Siemens Group, and the Fraunhofer Institute.