UK businesses drastically overestimate their AI progress
GlobeNewsWire
Published: Jul 08, 2026, 06:03 PM GMT+9
Sentiment Analysis
UK businesses drastically overestimate their AI progress EXL’s 2026 UK Enterprise AI Study finds that while most companies think they’re ahead of the competition at AI, few actually see results at scale
75% of companies believe they are ahead of their competitors on AI, but just 12% meet the criteria to qualify as an AI Leader
93% of UK companies believe it’s important to scale AI, yet only 3% will be given incremental budget (compared of 60% U.S. companies)
77% of respondents say data is their biggest challenge in using AI effectively
Most UK businesses believe they're outperforming their competitors on AI, and 38% of companies in the UK have already moved agentic AI beyond the pilot stage. But new research from EXL (NASDAQ: EXLS), a global data and AI company, shows that just 12% are making significant company-wide progress integrating AI across core business functions and experiencing a notable return on investment (ROI) from their AI initiatives.
The third annual EXL UK Enterprise AI Study is based on a survey of 212 C-suite and other senior decision makers across the banking and finance, insurance, retail, and utilities industries. Its findings reveal a significant disconnect between how organisations assess their AI progress and where they currently stand on real-world AI integration.
“As the pressure mounts for companies in the UK to deliver measurable results from AI, leaders in this space are distinguishing themselves by reimagining their business from the ground up,” said Bhupender Singh, president and head of international growth markets at EXL. “In order to catch up to these leaders, companies that are lagging behind need more than just technology; they need to redesign their operating models, from workflows to talent management and underlying data infrastructure.”
Source: GlobeNewsWire
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