A new report shows 70% of UK businesses have adopted AI in some capacity but those outside London still risk falling behind
AI is giving businesses a boost – but older firms and those outside London risk being left behind.
UK firms embracing AI are reaping the rewards of cost savings and higher revenues – yet older companies and businesses beyond the capital risk getting left behind.
A report drawing on data from 5.3 million businesses worldwide revealed that 70% of UK businesses now use AI in some form. Of those, 77% reported a boost in productivity, while 43% say it has driven up their revenue.
More than one in four (27%) also say AI has helped shorten their working days, and 28% have seen their costs fall. However, not all businesses are keeping pace.
Intuit’s 2026 AI Impact Report combined administrative data from more than 5.3 million businesses using QuickBooks, alongside surveys of more than 34,000 businesses across the UK, Canada, US and Australia.
The findings point to a growing divide in how businesses across the UK are embracing AI.
According to the report, London businesses are 13.2 percentage points more likely to make extensive use of AI across their operations. However, South East businesses are 13.8 percentage points more likely than the national average to say they never use AI, while South West firms are 14.9 percentage points less likely to report extensive AI use.
Businesses in Wales are also more inclined to report using AI in a limited or testing capacity rather than at scale.
Andrew Price, CEO and co-founder of Synapx, said: “AI allows a small team to operate with the maturity, governance, and delivery capability of a much larger organisation.
“It accelerates business maturity, and maturity is what unlocks sustainable growth, not just short-term efficiency.
“We’re seeing a growing divide between businesses that are experimenting with AI and those that are embedding it into day-to-day operations.”
Despite geographical variations, the research revealed many adopting AI are seeing rewards. A fifth reported they are actually making more hires due to AI.
Ciarán Quilty, from Intuit, said: “UK businesses aren’t short of tools, they’re short of time and clarity.
“We’re seeing a shift from reactive software to proactive AI embedded into businesses systems that actually do work on behalf of the customer.
“By embedding AI directly into key workflows, businesses spend less time managing admin and more time making confident decisions about how they grow.
“Usage of this kind is growing and ambitious businesses are beginning to reap the benefits.”
