The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has urged the Government to make artificial intelligence (AI) adoption a national economic priority, warning that businesses must move beyond “pilot mode” to avoid being left behind.
In a report published with Oliver Wyman, the CBI calls for the next 10 years to be Britain’s “adoption decade”, with AI placed at the heart of the UK’s economic and workforce strategy.
‘Execution divide’ warning
The report highlights a growing “execution divide” between companies scaling up AI across their operations and those remaining in pilot mode. Research by Oliver Wyman Forum and the New York Stock Exchange found that 49% of leading AI firms are meeting or surpassing their expected return on investment, compared with just 15% of those lagging behind.
CBI chief executive Rain Newton-Smith said: “The next chapter of AI won’t just be defined by what we invent, but by how quickly we can put it to work at scale. Britain now needs to treat AI adoption as a national economic priority.”
Government and business call
Newton-Smith called for a shared ambition to make the UK “the best place in the world to adopt AI responsibly”, with a focus on delivery. The CBI wants the Government to establish a business AI adoption delivery group, introduce a voluntary responsible AI adoption code and public pledge, invest in AI skills at all levels, develop a national AI literacy standard, and provide easy-to-navigate regulation.
“If we get this right, the prize won’t be measured in technology alone – it will be measured in better jobs, rising wages, stronger businesses and higher living standards,” she said.
Minister responds
The report follows the appointment of Kanishka Narayan as the UK’s first AI minister by Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Narayan called the CBI’s report a “welcome contribution” to the debate, adding: “We are committed to making the UK the leading adopter of AI in the G7. That is why we are working with industry to give 10 million workers AI skills by 2030 and investing more than £200 million to support workers and businesses in adopting the technology.”
Separate research by Lloyds Banking Group, surveying 1,200 UK businesses, found that 58% believe AI has created jobs within their organisations, but 31% say their workforce lacks the necessary skills. Overall, 61% of firms report using AI, with 46% of domestically focused businesses more likely to use it, compared with 63% of those operating internationally.
