AI adoption statistics for UK leaders
Figures below are dated to the reporting period and link to the source chapter. The report was published in 2025. The survey figures are global context rather than UK-only estimates.
| Measure | Figure | Reporting period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organisations reporting AI use | 78%55% in 2023 | 2024 survey responses | Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, AI Index 2025 |
| Organisations reporting generative AI use in at least one business function | 71%33% in 2023 | 2024 survey responses | Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, AI Index 2025 |
| Private AI investment | $33.9 billion18.7% higher than 2023 | 2024 | Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, AI Index 2025 |
| Service operations respondents reporting cost savings | 49%Most reported savings were below 10% | 2024 survey responses | Stanford University Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence, AI Index 2025 |
Each year, Stanford's Institute for Human-Centered AI publishes the AI Index. It is the most thorough independent attempt to measure where AI stands. The 2026 edition was published in April.
Read together, its numbers tell one story. Capability and adoption are racing ahead. The human and organisational work needed to use them well is lagging.
Capability is jumping
AI agents' success on a benchmark of real-world tasks rose from 20% to 77.3% in a year. Tasks that agents failed last year, they now often complete.
Generative AI reached 53% population adoption within three years. That is faster than the personal computer or the internet.
Trust and transparency are not keeping up
Public feeling is mixed. Across countries, 59% of people say they are optimistic about AI, while 52% say it makes them nervous.
Transparency is falling. The Index reports that its foundation model transparency score dropped from 58 to 40. Leaders have less information to judge when to trust a model.
The entry-level squeeze
The Index found employment for software developers aged 22 to 25 fell by nearly 20% since 2024. Early-career roles are where AI exposure bites first.
That creates a long-term risk. If fewer people do junior work, fewer people build the judgement that senior roles need.
Build this capability in your organisation
Growth Performance designs bespoke programmes that turn insight into measurable behaviour change.
What this means for leaders
Capability is now cheap and everywhere. Advantage comes from the human and organisational conditions that turn it into results.
Three questions follow, one for each condition in The Human Advantage Programme.
Adoption. With nervousness this high, are people still taking on the change and making AI part of their work? Read more about Adoption.
Adaptation. As agents improve, can people direct, combine and check them in real work? Read more about Adaptation.
Acceleration. With capability moving this fast, is the organisation ready for the next change? Read more about Acceleration.
Try this
Look at how your AI budget splits between tools and people. Count training, workflow redesign and manager development as people.
If tools dominate, you have probably found why returns lag. Then map one idea's journey to routine with the Cycle Time Mapper.