The UK’s AI Reality Check
Read this guest blog by Umang Paw, CTO at PwC UK, on where the UK really stands with AI.
The debate over whether to adopt AI has already closed in most British boardrooms. Investment is now a non‑negotiable. PwC’s 29th UK CEO Survey makes this clear. A striking 81% of UK CEOs say technology, AI and data are their top investment priorities for 2026 – up from 60% in last year's survey.
Despite rising confidence in the applicability of AI from UK CEOs, the principal challenge has shifted from experimentation to execution. Only 9% of UK CEOs say AI is being deployed at scale and in a way that consistently improves performance.
This shifts the real question that is front‑of‑mind for Britain’s top executives today to whether companies will be able to convert technological investment into meaningful value felt across the organisation, rather than in isolated pilots.
The technology itself is not the issue. Three in ten UK CEOs already report revenue gains from AI, and many more point to improvements in efficiency and cost reduction. What we’re seeing is a growing faultline between those businesses that are extracting value from AI, and those that aren’t. Those CEOs reporting both cost and revenue gains are two to three times more likely to say they have embedded AI extensively across their business.
This suggests the barriers holding other businesses back are less about tech, and more about internal structures and change management. Half of UK CEOs say their organisation can't evolve fast enough. The harder questions are about governance, ownership and whether your operating model is fit for purpose. That's where the real work begins.
I see this myself every day between helping clients and supporting the ongoing transformation of our firm. The organisations reaping the most value from AI are the ones that treat technology as a catalyst for holistic transformation, not just as a standalone project. When I walk into boardrooms, the difference for those with this mindset is evident: the businesses succeeding today are those where CTOs and CIOs are the strategic partners helping translate tech’s potential into commercial outcomes, and where the entire leadership team understands that achieving impact requires a multi‑functional response.
The real value comes when leaders are willing to redesign the organisation around new ways of working and embedding AI into the everyday cadence of the business. This can only happen when the CEO, CFO, COO and the rest of the boardroom take full ownership of redesigning how work is done, how decisions are made and how customers experience services fundamentally.
The good news? UK executives seem to recognise this. Nearly half say they're actively building stronger governance, data infrastructure and security frameworks. Progress may be measured rather than rapid, but it reflects a growing understanding that AI transformation is as much about organisational change as technological capability.
The talent picture adds another layer of complexity. Only one in four UK CEOs feel confident they can attract high‑calibre AI specialists – a significant gap compared to global peers. But here's the thing: recruitment alone was never going to close this capability gap. The real gains will come from equipping your existing workforce with the skills to use AI responsibly and effectively. It's about augmenting your people and their skills, not replacing them.
The UK has no shortage of ambition or investment appetite. What separates the winners from the rest will be the unglamorous work: simplifying governance, reshaping operating models, building skills at scale, and weaving AI into how the organisation functions day to day.
The companies that crack this won't just transform themselves – they'll help define Britain's competitive position for a generation. The question is: will yours be one of them?
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.
Get involved: techUK runs a busy calendar of activities including events, reports, and insights to demonstrate some of the most significant AI opportunities for the UK. Our AI Hub is where you will find details of all upcoming activity. We also send a monthly AI newsletter which you can subscribe to here.
Upcoming AI Events
Latest news and insights
Subscribe to our AI newsletter
AI and Data Analytics updates
Sign-up to our monthly newsletter to get the latest updates and opportunities from our AI and Data Analytics Programme straight to your inbox.
Contact the team
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.
- Email:
- [email protected]
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 AI, Cloud, Data, Quantum, Semiconductors, Digital ID and Digital ethics 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 also been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame.
A key influencer in driving forward the tech agenda in the UK, in December 2025 Sue was appointed to the UK Government’s Women in Tech Taskforce by the Technology Secretary of State. She also sits on the UK Government’s Smart Data Council, Satellite Applications Catapult Advisory Group, Bank of England’s AI Consortium and BSI’s Digital Strategic Advisory Group. Previously, Sue was a member of the Independent Future of Compute Review and co-chaired the National Data Strategy Forum. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries in 2020, Sue has been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and has been a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI, the UK Tech 50 and annual UK Cloud Awards. She is a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security.
Prior to joining techUK in January 2015, Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. Before that, 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 Master’s Degree in 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.
- Email:
- [email protected]
- Phone:
- 020 7331 2055
- Twitter:
- @ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue,@ChannelSwimSue
Visit our AI Hub - the home of all our AI content:
Enquire about membership:
Authors
Umang Paw
Umang is PwC UK’s Chief Technology Officer and joined the Management Board in July 2024. He has a BEng in Software Engineering and has over 20 years of technology and business experience, specialising in forensic technology early in his career, supporting his clients with digital led investigations in the UK and across the world.
