AI in Practice: Turning Hype into Real Business Impact
Artificial Intelligence has moved from the lab to the boardroom. Every week, new stories emerge about how it will revolutionise work, creativity, or customer service - and, occasionally, end civilisation. Between the hype and the hesitation, most leaders are asking a far simpler question: how do we make AI useful today? According to the Zoho Digital Health Study (2024), half of digital transformation leaders already see AI playing a significant role in their organisation, while one in five describe it as critical to success. The opportunity is clear, but the path from proof-of-concept to tangible outcomes still challenges many businesses.
From Buzzword to Business Value
AI is already delivering measurable benefits across the UK’s B2B landscape - often in areas that don’t make headlines. Intelligent automation is helping companies streamline repetitive tasks, while predictive analytics are improving decision-making and forecasting accuracy.
Customer experience is another key frontier. AI-powered chatbots and self-service tools are reducing response times and increasing satisfaction - but only when paired with human oversight and strong data foundations. In other words, successful AI doesn’t replace people; it empowers them.
The next evolution - Agentic AI - will see systems capable of managing entire workflows autonomously. These agents will make proactive decisions, anticipate gaps, and execute tasks end-to-end. It’s a promising leap, but one that will demand even greater clarity around accountability, ethics, and data transparency.
Building the Right Foundations
Technology alone doesn’t deliver transformation. As Dr Stefan Feuerriegel, Head of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence in Management at LMU Munich, notes: “The biggest challenge is often not the technology itself, but the successful integration into company processes.”
Three priorities consistently separate successful AI adopters from the rest:
- High-quality data: Poor or fragmented data can derail even the most advanced models. Clean, unified, and goal-driven data is essential.
- Responsible governance: With GDPR and the EU AI Act setting the tone for regulation, responsible data handling is no longer optional.
- Cultural readiness: AI adoption is as much about people as it is about systems. Early engagement, training, and transparency build the trust needed for long-term success.
These aren’t tick-box exercises; they’re the building blocks of digital resilience — ensuring that organisations innovate with confidence and maintain public trust.
The Road Ahead
AI’s trajectory is accelerating, but so are expectations. Stakeholders now look for measurable outcomes - efficiency gains, better customer insight, and enhanced employee experience - rather than grand promises. For UK organisations, this means approaching AI as an enabler of smarter, more human-centred business.
Whether you’re starting small with process automation or exploring agentic AI, success depends on marrying technological capability with ethical, data-driven strategy. Done right, AI won’t replace human judgement - it will strengthen it.
Explore Further
To dive deeper into practical steps for adopting AI responsibly and effectively, download Zoho’s latest whitepaper, Ready for Artificial Intelligence: From Vision to Implementation - exploring where AI delivers value today, the challenges to anticipate, and how to turn vision into sustainable business impact.
Author
Chinia Watmerman
Chinia Watmerman
techUK - Seizing the AI Opportunity
The UK is a global leader in AI innovation, development and adoption.
AI has the potential to boost UK GDP by £550 billion by 2035, making adoption an urgent economic priority. techUK and our members are committed to working with the Government to turn the AI Opportunities Action Plan into reality. Together we can ensure the UK seizes the opportunities presented by AI technology and continues to be a world leader in AI development.
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Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi is the Head of AI and Data at techUK.
She holds over seven years of Government Affairs and Tech Policy experience in the US and UK. Kir previously headed up the regulatory portfolio at a UK advocacy group for tech startups and held various public affairs in US tech policy. All involved policy research and campaigns on competition, artificial intelligence, access to data, and pro-innovation regulation.
Kir has an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London and a BA in both Political Science (International Relations) and Economics from the University of California San Diego.
Outside of techUK, you are likely to find her attempting studies at art galleries, attempting an elusive headstand at yoga, mending and binding books, or chasing her dog Maya around South London's many parks.
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Usman Ikhlaq
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.
He leads techUK’s AI Adoption programme, supporting members of all sizes and sectors in adopting AI at scale. His work involves identifying barriers to adoption, exploring solutions, and helping to unlock AI’s transformative potential, particularly its benefits for people, the economy, society, and the planet. He is also committed to advancing the UK’s AI sector and ensuring the UK remains a global leader in AI by working closely with techUK members, the UK Government, regulators, and devolved and local authorities.
Since joining techUK, Usman has delivered a regular drumbeat of activity to engage members and advance techUK's AI programme. This has included two campaign weeks, the creation of the AI Adoption Hub (now the AI Hub), the AI Leader's Event Series, the Putting AI into Action webinar series and the Industrial AI sprint campaign.
Before joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, regulatory and government/public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales, marketing, and FinTech.
Usman holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a GDL and LLB from BPP Law School, and a BA from Queen Mary University of London.
When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.
Sue Daley OBE
Sue Daley OBE
Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.
This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy.
In 2025, Sue was honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Technology Industry in the New Year Honours List.
She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame.
A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK, Sue was co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum until July 2024. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.
Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.
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