Artificial intelligence is spreading across British business, but the technology is not being adopted at the same speed everywhere.
New Office for National Statistics data shows that around 35% of UK businesses with 10 or more employees reported using at least one AI technology in June 2026, up from around 12% in late 2023.
But the headline figure hides a much bigger difference between industries.
Information and communication businesses are leading the UK, with 58% reporting AI use, while construction was at just 13%. Private-sector education and professional, scientific and technical activities were also among the stronger adopters.
The result is a divided AI economy: some industries are already incorporating AI into everyday operations, while others are still at the beginning of the adoption curve.
Key Facts
- Around 35% of UK businesses with 10 or more employees reported using AI in June 2026.
- Information and communication led at 58%.
- Construction was among the lowest adopters at 13%.
- Professional, scientific and technical activities recorded 46%.
- Large language models were the most commonly reported AI technology, at 18%.
- Visual content creation followed at 16%.
- Only 10% of businesses using AI reported using it extensively.
- Around 55% of employees reported using AI for work or education, compared with around 35% of businesses reporting organisational AI use.
- Ireland’s overall enterprise AI adoption reached 20.2% in 2025.
Sources: Office for National Statistics and Central Statistics Office.
Table of Contents
- What does the latest UK data show?
- Which UK industry is adopting AI fastest?
- Why is information and communication leading?
- What about education and professional services?
- Is financial services ahead of other industries?
- Why are some industries slower to adopt AI?
- What are British businesses using AI for?
- Is AI adoption actually deep enough to transform businesses?
- What does this mean for workers?
- What does it mean for Ireland?
- What is the UK Government doing?
- What happens next?
What Does the Latest UK Data Show?
The latest ONS analysis shows that AI adoption among UK businesses has risen sharply since late 2023.
Among businesses with 10 or more employees, the proportion reporting use of at least one AI technology increased from around 12% in September 2023 to around 35% by June 2026.
Large businesses are considerably more likely to have adopted AI. ONS data shows that 49% of businesses employing 250 or more people reported using at least one AI technology, compared with 28% among businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
The figures show that AI has moved beyond a niche technology issue and into mainstream business activity.
But adoption is still far from universal.
ONS also found that the average number of AI technologies used by adopting businesses increased only modestly, from about 1.4 to 1.6.
That distinction matters.
A company using one generative AI tool for marketing is very different from a company integrating AI throughout finance, customer service, production and decision-making.
Which UK Industry Is Adopting AI Fastest?
The information and communication industry is currently the UK’s strongest adopter.
In June 2026, 58% of businesses in the industry reported using at least one AI technology.
ONS says information and communication and private-sector education showed the highest levels of AI use, while construction was among the lowest at 13%.
Professional, scientific and technical activities also recorded a high adoption rate, at 46%.
The broad pattern is clear: industries built around information, knowledge and digital processes are generally adopting AI faster than sectors where work is more physical or where digital integration is more difficult.
Why Is Information and Communication Leading?
The information and communication sector includes businesses whose work is already heavily dependent on digital information.
That creates a natural connection with technologies such as:
- large language models;
- software development tools;
- automated content creation;
- data analysis;
- machine learning;
- customer-support systems;
- image and video processing;
- cybersecurity tools.
The latest ONS data shows that large language models are the most commonly reported AI technology among UK businesses, used by 18% of businesses with 10 or more employees.
Visual content creation was next at 16%, followed by machine-learning data processing at 12%.
This helps explain why digitally intensive businesses are among the fastest adopters.
The technology can often be added directly to existing digital workflows rather than requiring major changes to physical infrastructure.
Education Is Also Moving Quickly
Private-sector education is another sector identified by ONS as having high levels of AI use.
The reasons are relatively straightforward.
Education involves large amounts of text, information processing, communication and administrative work — areas where generative AI can already assist with certain tasks.
Potential applications include:
- content preparation;
- administrative work;
- research;
- personalised learning materials;
- communication;
- data analysis;
- lesson planning.
However, adoption does not automatically mean that AI is replacing teachers or fundamentally changing education.
The available UK data shows adoption of AI technology, not wholesale replacement of human work.
That distinction is particularly important when discussing AI and jobs.
What About Professional Services?
Professional, scientific and technical businesses are also relatively strong AI adopters.
The sector includes organisations where employees regularly work with information, analysis, documents, research and specialised knowledge.
AI can therefore be used for tasks such as:
- document analysis;
- research;
- drafting;
- data processing;
- customer communication;
- coding;
- administrative work;
- knowledge management.
The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has similarly found higher AI adoption in information and communication, finance and real estate, and business services and administration.
In its 2026 research, DSIT found AI adoption at 43% in information and communication, 21% in finance and real estate and 23% in business services and administration within its survey.
The exact percentages differ from ONS because the surveys use different methodologies and fieldwork periods.
That is an important reminder when comparing AI statistics: there is no single universal measurement of “AI adoption”.
Is Financial Services Ahead of Other Industries?
Financial services is one of the UK’s most advanced AI adoption stories.
The sector has a long history of using data-intensive technology for areas such as fraud detection, risk management, financial analysis and automated processes.
HM Treasury’s July 2026 Financial Services AI Adoption Plan describes the sector as an early adopter and says surveys conducted by the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England found around three-quarters of surveyed financial firms using AI.
The Government is now attempting to move the sector from individual AI experiments towards wider deployment.
The plan focuses on issues including:
- regulation;
- resilience;
- AI-powered financial advice;
- skills;
- talent;
- agentic payments;
- consumer outcomes.
For consumers, this could eventually affect how banks detect fraud, provide support and deliver financial services.
For businesses, the attraction is largely about efficiency, risk management and productivity.
Why Are Some Industries Slower to Adopt AI?
The UK’s AI adoption gap is not simply about whether businesses like or dislike artificial intelligence.
Some industries face practical barriers that make adoption harder.
Construction is a good example.
A software company can introduce a large language model into an existing digital workflow relatively quickly.
A construction business operates in a physical environment involving equipment, materials, buildings, workers, safety requirements and site conditions.
The potential applications of AI still exist, but integrating the technology can require different infrastructure, data and skills.
The same issue applies to other sectors.
DSIT’s research found that businesses in construction, retail and distribution, transport and storage, and hotel and catering were much more likely than average to say they neither used AI nor had plans to adopt it.
This does not mean these industries will remain behind permanently.
It means the route to adoption is likely to be different.
What Are British Businesses Using AI For?
The most common purpose identified by ONS is improving business operations.
That is significant because it suggests that most current business AI adoption is evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
Companies are often using AI to make existing activities faster or more efficient.
Examples include:
- processing information;
- creating content;
- analysing data;
- supporting administrative work;
- improving customer service;
- assisting employees;
- automating selected tasks.
ONS found that developing new products and exploring new markets were less commonly reported uses.
This suggests many businesses are still treating AI primarily as a productivity tool.
Is AI Adoption Actually Deep Enough to Transform Businesses?
Not necessarily.
This is one of the most important findings in the latest ONS data.
Although around 35% of UK businesses with 10 or more employees reported using at least one AI technology, only 10% of AI-using businesses said they were using AI extensively.
The average number of AI technologies used per adopting business has also increased only modestly.
That means the UK is experiencing rapid adoption but relatively shallow integration.
The distinction could become increasingly important over the next few years.
There is a major difference between:
using AI
and
reorganising a business around AI.
The first is already becoming common.
The second is still emerging.
What Does AI Adoption Mean for Workers?
AI is increasingly becoming part of everyday working life.
ONS found that around 55% of employees reported using AI for work or education, compared with around 35% of businesses reporting organisational use.
The two figures measure different things, so they should not be directly interpreted as contradictory.
An employee may use an AI tool independently even if their employer does not have a formal organisation-wide AI strategy.
That raises a major issue for British workplaces.
AI adoption is not only about the number of companies using the technology.
It is also about how workers use it.
Employees may increasingly need skills in:
- evaluating AI output;
- checking accuracy;
- protecting confidential information;
- writing effective instructions;
- understanding AI limitations;
- integrating AI into existing workflows.
The UK Government’s sector-specific AI adoption plans increasingly emphasise skills and workforce capability alongside technology.
What Does It Mean for Ireland?
The UK figures are particularly relevant to Ireland because both countries are experiencing rapid growth in business AI use.
Ireland’s Central Statistics Office reported that 20.2% of enterprises used AI in 2025, compared with 8.1% in 2023.
Large Irish enterprises were substantially more likely to use AI, with 57.7% reporting adoption compared with 28.6% of medium-sized and 17.2% of small enterprises.
Ireland’s overall adoption rate was approximately equal to the EU average.
The Irish figures therefore tell a similar story to the UK: larger organisations are adopting AI more quickly, while smaller businesses face a greater adoption gap.
For Irish companies competing with UK businesses, the UK experience provides an important warning.
AI adoption is increasingly becoming an issue of business capability and productivity rather than simply a technology trend.
What Is the UK Government Doing?
The UK Government has made AI adoption a major economic policy priority.
In June 2026, AI Champions published sector-specific adoption plans covering advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, digital and technologies, life sciences, and professional and business services.
Financial services subsequently received its own adoption plan.
The Government says these plans are intended to accelerate practical AI adoption while addressing issues such as:
- skills;
- governance;
- access to data;
- workforce capability;
- scaling successful AI projects.
This means the UK’s next phase of AI adoption is likely to involve more than encouraging companies to experiment with ChatGPT-style tools.
The policy direction is increasingly focused on turning experimentation into measurable productivity and economic gains.
What Happens Next?
The next stage of Britain’s AI story will probably be less about whether businesses have tried AI and more about whether they can scale it effectively.
The latest data already shows a substantial divide.
Digital and knowledge-intensive industries are ahead.
Some physical and consumer-facing industries are moving more slowly.
Financial services is being pushed towards deeper deployment.
Government is targeting strategic industries for accelerated adoption.
And employees are increasingly using AI themselves, sometimes faster than businesses are formalising its use.
The key question for Britain is therefore changing.
It is no longer simply:
“Which businesses are using AI?”
It is becoming:
“Which businesses can turn AI use into lasting productivity, better services and stronger competitiveness?”
That will determine whether today’s rapid increase in adoption becomes a genuine transformation of the British economy.
For Ireland, the lesson is similar.
The technology is spreading quickly, but adoption rates alone will not determine who benefits most.
The decisive factors are likely to be skills, data, leadership, infrastructure, regulation and the ability to integrate AI into real business processes.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key facts
- 35% of UK businesses with 10+ employees reported using AI in June 2026.
- Information and communication led at 58%.
- Professional, scientific and technical activities were at 46%.
- Construction was at 13%.
- Large language models were used by 18% of businesses.
- Visual content AI was used by 16%.
- Only 10% of AI-using businesses reported extensive AI use.
- Around 55% of employees reported AI use for work or education.
- Ireland reached 20.2% enterprise AI adoption in 2025.
- Around 75% of surveyed UK financial firms were using AI according to FCA/Bank of England survey evidence cited by HM Treasury.
Main takeaway
Britain’s AI adoption is accelerating, but adoption is highly uneven and often shallow.
FAQ SECTION
1. Which UK industry is adopting AI fastest?
Information and communication is currently the leading UK industry, with 58% of businesses reporting AI use in June 2026, according to ONS data.
2. What percentage of UK businesses use AI?
Around 35% of UK businesses with 10 or more employees reported using at least one AI technology in June 2026.
3. Which UK industries use AI the most?
Information and communication and private-sector education are among the highest-adopting industries, while professional, scientific and technical activities also have relatively high adoption.
4. Which UK industry uses AI the least?
Construction was among the lowest adopters in the June 2026 ONS data, at 13%.
5. Is financial services leading AI adoption in Britain?
Financial services is one of the UK’s strongest AI-adopting sectors. Surveys by the FCA and Bank of England cited by HM Treasury found around three-quarters of surveyed financial firms using AI.
6. What is AI mainly used for in UK businesses?
Improving business operations is the most common reported purpose. Businesses also use AI for language generation, visual content, data processing and other operational tasks.
7. Are UK businesses using AI extensively?
Most are not. ONS found that only 10% of businesses using AI reported using it extensively.
8. Is AI adoption higher in the UK or Ireland?
The figures are not directly comparable because the UK and Irish statistical agencies use different surveys and definitions. Ireland reported 20.2% enterprise AI adoption in 2025, while ONS reported around 35% of UK businesses with 10+ employees using AI in June 2026.
9. Which AI technology is most popular among UK businesses?
Large language models were the most commonly reported AI technology among UK businesses with 10 or more employees, at 18% in June 2026.
10. Why are some UK industries slower to adopt AI?
Industries differ in their digital maturity, available data, workforce skills, costs, infrastructure and ability to integrate AI into existing processes.
