A new report indicates that one in five UK companies leveraging artificial intelligence are expanding their workforce. The study, which analyzed data from 5.3 million businesses globally, found that 70% of UK firms have adopted AI in some capacity. Among these, 77% reported enhanced productivity, while 43% experienced a boost in turnover.
Cost savings and shorter workdays
More than a quarter (27%) of businesses using AI say it has shortened their workdays, and 28% have seen operational costs decrease. However, the benefits are not evenly distributed across the country.
Regional disparities in AI adoption
The Intuit 2026 AI Impact Report highlights a divide in AI adoption. London businesses are 13.2 percentage points more likely to deploy AI extensively. In contrast, firms in the South East are 13.8 percentage points more likely to have never used AI, and those in the South West are 14.9 percentage points less likely to report extensive AI use. Companies in Wales tend to use AI on a limited or experimental basis.
Andrew Price, CEO and co-founder of Synapx, noted: "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."
AI driving hiring and growth
Despite regional gaps, many AI adopters are reaping rewards. A fifth of firms reported making more hires due to AI. Ciarán Quilty from Intuit commented: "UK businesses aren't short of tools, they're short of time and clarity. By embedding AI directly into key workflows, businesses spend less time managing admin and more time making confident decisions about growth."
The findings suggest a growing divide between businesses experimenting with AI and those embedding it into daily operations, with the latter seeing more significant benefits.
