Information Technology
IBM Report: Two-Thirds of UK Firms Gain from AI--Reskilling Key to Unlocking Greater Productivity
While AI holds strong potential to boost productivity, 67% of the UK business leaders say internal resistance and cultural barriers are stalling the rollout of pilot AI projects. A key driver of this hesitation may be the lack of investment in workforce development: only 45% of UK enterprises currently offer company-wide or role-specific AI training. Even fewer—just 38%—are prioritising inclusive workforce transformation to ensure upskilling opportunities reach employees across all roles, ages, and levels of technical expertise.
To help close this gap and prepare the UK workforce for the AI jobs of the future, initiatives like the UK government's drive to deliver AI skills training to 7.5 million UK workers is a step in the right direction. Boosting technology skills across the economy is key to the UK maintaining its leadership position in AI.
Still, there are signs of productivity momentum. Over a quarter (27%) of UK senior leaders say their organisations are already seeing financial or cost-saving returns from AI-driven productivity initiatives, with another 34% expecting similar outcomes within the next year.
As consumers increasingly expect seamless and intelligent experiences, businesses must invest in AI technologies and workforce development to stay ahead of the curve. A recent IBM survey of over 2000 UK consumers highlighted that 74% of respondents are comfortable with AI-powered assistants playing a role in their decision-making - ranging from offering personalised suggestions to making household financial selections on their behalf. This emerging behaviour presents potential opportunities for companies to use AI agents to power customer-led growth – if based on transparent and trusted technology.
The demand for AI-powered services is clear. Seventy nine percent of consumers surveyed said they trust interactive AI experiences like chatbots to deliver reliable results, while 72% reported enjoying their use. To meet this demand, businesses must prioritise convenience, speed, and security, as these are the key factors driving consumer adoption, with 40% citing convenience and speed, 37% prioritising robust data security and privacy, and 35% valuing 24/7 support. By investing in AI solutions and equipping their workforce with the necessary skills, businesses can build trust with their customers, drive growth and innovation, and establish a competitive edge in the market.
While business leaders recognise the benefits, businesses also face challenges in quantifying ROI from AI adoption. According to the UK senior leaders who contributed to study, high upfront investment costs which distort short-term ROI (37%), the difficulty in attributing business outcomes solely to AI efforts (35%) and lack of skills or expertise (31%) are the biggest challenges their organisations face when measuring the ROI of AI implementations. To address these barriers, businesses must ensure AI investments are tightly aligned with core objectives—focusing on cost efficiency, revenue growth, and enhanced customer experience.
Rising consumer trust and enjoyment of AI indicate new potential areas for business – from improving interactions with customers to internal productivity gains. Companies across industries, from retail and financial services to public sector and more, could benefit by embedding AI into core operations, evolving from single chatbots to managing multiple connected agents that work together to share information and handle complex, multi-step activities.
"UK businesses are clearly seeing the productivity benefits of AI, with two-thirds already reporting significant gains. But the real opportunity lies ahead—unlocking even greater value through workforce transformation and upskilling. By investing in AI skills training across all levels, organisations can not only outperform their peers but build a future-ready workforce that drives innovation and resilience."
"Adoption and use of AI within organisations of all size and sector presents both opportunities and challenge. While AI offers immense benefits, businesses can only realise its full potential when their workforce is equipped with the right knowledge."
"IBM's Race for ROI study highlights the importance of skills in the face of this issue. To succeed in the long-term, businesses must make AI reskilling a key part of their employee development strategy. This will empower employees to embrace and leverage AI's potential, unlocking its full value across the whole business."
To accelerate ROI from AI, the report recommends five priorities for enterprise leaders:
To discover more about how AI is helping unlock opportunities for growth and innovation across EMEA, including across major industry sectors, download the "The Race for ROI" report here: The Race for ROI: How AI is transforming enterprise productivity in EMEA
The study surveyed 3,500 business leaders aged 25 and over from organisations currently using AI tools across multiple countries, including 500 from the UK. The research was conducted by Censuswide, 8 - 12 September 2025 .
The study surveyed 2,257 UK and Ireland consumers aged 18+ that are aware when they are interacting with AI. The research was conducted by Censuswide, 9 - 11 September 2025 .
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.
Imtiaz Mufti
External Communications, IBM UKI
Imtiaz.Mufti@IBM.com
Tel: +44 (0)7909020019
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