{"id":279346,"date":"2026-04-13T08:21:12","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T08:21:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/?p=279346"},"modified":"2026-04-13T08:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T08:21:12","slug":"ai-adoption-stalls-as-uk-businesses-lack-clear-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/ai-adoption-stalls-as-uk-businesses-lack-clear-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"AI adoption stalls as UK businesses lack clear strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"\">\n<header class=\"article-header \"><time class=\"date-time__time\" datetime=\"2026-04-10T15:02:26+01:00\"><br \/>\nFriday 10 April 2026 3:02 pm<\/time><\/p>\n<\/header>\n<p><!-- Ads Injected --><\/p>\n<p>UK businesses are adopting AI at a pace, but many are still struggling to convert that momentum into real, meaningful financial returns.<\/p>\n<p>According to IBM\u2019s Race for ROI study, 66 per cent of British enterprises report significant productivity improvements from AI, with 63 per cent of senior leaders citing noticeable efficiency gains post-adoption.<\/p>\n<p>There seems to be a gap between early success and wider transformation; however, as the same research shows, 62 per cent of organisations are still failing to unlock AI\u2019s full potential. And that disconnect is playing out across boardrooms and business units alike.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">\u201cIt\u2019s not a technology problem, it\u2019s an organisational change problem,\u201d Sebastian Weir, executive partner at IBM, tol<\/span>d\u00a0<em>City AM.<\/em> \u201cYou can\u2019t give a workforce access to a co-pilot and expect them to just get on board with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-ai-adoption-vs-scale\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">AI adoption vs scale<\/h2>\n<p>Over three-quarters of UK businesses are using AI tools in some capacity, while IBM\u2019s findings show companies are already benefiting from time savings and improved efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>Those gains are translating into tangible changes in how work is done, with IBM reporting that AI is freeing up time for higher-value tasks, including innovation (41 per cent) and creative work (41 per cent).<\/p>\n<p>Yet, a study by consultancy Studio Graphene found that progress beyond those early signs of gain is uneven.<\/p>\n<p>Its report showed that 31 per cent of UK firms using AI have seen any positive return on investment, while fewer than half can clearly define what success looks like.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, research across global enterprises suggests that fewer than one in 10 companies is achieving a large-scale financial impact from AI.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe friction we\u2019re seeing is how you start to change behaviours, from leadership KPIs right through to changing the behaviours of an organisation,\u201d Weir said.<\/p>\n<p>Without those changes, AI tends to remain confined to isolated use cases rather than driving broader business transformation.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-unrealistic-expectations\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unrealistic expectations<\/h2>\n<p>A key barrier is the level of expectation that AI will deliver immediate financial returns.<\/p>\n<p>IBM\u2019s research proves that while over a quarter of UK firms are already seeing cost savings, a further 34 per cent expect returns within the next year, as benefits often take time to materialise.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cExpecting sizable immediate return is unrealistic\u201d, Weir argues. \u201cIt\u2019s not that the benefit doesn\u2019t exist, it\u2019s about being realistic about the horizon.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Much of AI\u2019s early value is indirect, and efficiency gains, such as reduced time spent on routine tasks, are difficult to measure in traditional, quantifiable, financial terms.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I save three minutes from a phone call, it\u2019s very difficult to cash that saving,\u201d he added. \u201cBut it does make me more effective.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"read-more read-more--has-media read-more-auto\">\n<div class=\"read-more__content\">\n<h5 class=\"read-more__label\">Read more<\/h5>\n<h4 class=\"read-more__title\"><a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/is-ai-the-future-of-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Is AI the future of work?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>This creates tension at the board level, where investment decisions are often tied to short-term performance metrics rather than longer-term productivity gains.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-skills-and-model-bottlenecks\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Skills and model bottlenecks<\/h2>\n<p>Alongside measurement challenges, workforce readiness remains a significant constraint.<\/p>\n<p>IBM\u2019s study found 67 per cent of UK business leaders cite internal resistance and cultural barriers as key obstacles to AI adoption.<\/p>\n<p>And at the same time, only 38 per cent of organisations are actually prioritising AI upskilling across their workforce.<\/p>\n<p>What\u2019s more, a YouGov survey commissioned by The Access Group found that this gap is reflected in how employees use technology: 70 per cent of UK employees are experimenting with AI tools, while only 19 per cent have received formal training.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere was quite a lot of organisations that released AI guidance three years ago saying, \u2018Don\u2019t do this.\u2019 Very few have refreshed that to say, \u201cOkay, now you can,\u201d Weir added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone needs critical thinking skills to understand what is right, what is wrong, what do they trust\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The speed of advances in AI models is also making it harder for businesses to keep up, with new systems and updates released frequently.<\/p>\n<p>While this has fuelled investment, it has also made it harder for organisations to stay focused on outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly difficult to keep up \u2013 the frontier models are evolving faster than anyone can really consume them,\u201d Weir said.<\/p>\n<p>That pace of change can stall projects if teams prioritise upgrading technology over delivering results.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s quite easy to see how that program stalls if you\u2019re distracted by the model rather than the outcome. A lot of the projects are built on AI models from three or four years ago, and they are still brilliant and capable of delivering real tangible change,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>Looking ahead, IBM\u2019s broader enterprise 2030 research found that while 79 per cent of executives expect AI to contribute significantly to revenue, only 24 per cent can clearly identify where that growth will come from.<\/p>\n<p>That concerning gap between expectation and execution is likely to define the next phase of AI adoption.<\/p>\n<p>Weir points to governance, measurement and leadership alignment as critical areas for improvement. \u201cIf you haven\u2019t changed the KPIs, you\u2019re not changing the behaviours,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"read-more read-more--has-media read-more-auto\">\n<div class=\"read-more__content\">\n<h5 class=\"read-more__label\">Read more<\/h5>\n<h4 class=\"read-more__title\"><a class=\"read-more__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/will-this-years-university-cohort-be-able-to-get-a-job\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Will this year\u2019s university cohort be able to get a job?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<footer class=\"article-footer \">\n<div class=\"tags-collection article-footer__tags-collection\">\n<h2 class=\"screen-reader-text\">Similarly tagged content:<\/h2>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">Sections<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">Categories<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<nav class=\"tags \">\n<h3 class=\"tags__title\">People &amp; Organisations<\/h3>\n<\/nav>\n<\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/div>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cityam.com\/ibm-ai-adoption-stalls-as-uk-businesses-lack-clear-strategy\/\">Source link <\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/contact-us\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14\" src=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-300x100.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer-150x50.png 150w, https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/footer.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/d\/u\/1\/embed?mid=1w4tN9mf5kVdBXUXTq2KvwE23NmpUzEna\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: 0px #ffffff none;\" src=\"https:\/\/calendar.google.com\/calendar\/embed?src=sc635csnrm8h9s9lq0cad6vkss@group.calendar.google.com\" name=\"myiFrame\" width=\"600px\" height=\"3px\" frameborder=\"1\" marginwidth=\"0px\" marginheight=\"0px\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><center><\/center><\/p>\n<div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.dominiclevent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/Business_Solicitors_London.jpg\" width=\"600\" \/><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div>Dominic Levent Solicitors<\/div>\n<div>Email: Enquiries@dominiclevent.com<\/div>\n<div>Phone: 020 8347 6640<\/div>\n<div>Url: https:\/\/www.dominiclevent.com<\/div>\n<div style=\"display: none;\">cash, check, credit card, invoice<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div>1345 High Rd<\/div>\n<div>London, London N20 9HR<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Friday 10 April 2026 3:02 pm UK businesses are adopting AI at a pace, but many are still struggling to convert that momentum into real, meaningful financial returns. According to IBM\u2019s Race for ROI study, 66 per cent of British enterprises report significant productivity improvements from AI, with 63 per cent of senior leaders citing &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/ai-adoption-stalls-as-uk-businesses-lack-clear-strategy\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;AI adoption stalls as UK businesses lack clear strategy&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":279495,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-279346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news1","entry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>AI adoption stalls as UK businesses lack clear strategy - Dominic Levent Solicitors Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dominiclevent.com\/blog\/ai-adoption-stalls-as-uk-businesses-lack-clear-strategy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI adoption stalls as UK businesses lack clear strategy - Dominic Levent Solicitors Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Friday 10 April 2026 3:02 pm UK businesses are adopting AI at a pace, but many are still struggling to convert that momentum into real, meaningful financial returns. 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