Politics and regulation·February 24, 2026, 09:17

UK leaders: AI must deliver an edge, and more dare to measure its value

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According to a Microsoft survey, 84 percent of the organizations represented by 1,000 UK leaders use AI to gain a competitive advantage. The figure was 40 percent in 2025.

More than eight in ten of the UK organizations surveyed (84 percent) use AI to strengthen their position against competitors, according to their leaders. A year earlier, the figure was 40 percent. That is the finding of a survey conducted by the research firm Censuswide for Microsoft.

The survey was carried out in January 2026 among 1,000 UK leaders and senior decision-makers in public and private organizations of various sizes. The figures come from the leaders themselves, and the survey was commissioned by Microsoft, which sells AI tools itself. The figures are reported here via the technology outlet ITPro.

AI seen as critical

83 percent of leaders consider AI critical to their organization's success. 62 percent say their organization has deployed AI agents. These are AI programs that can carry out tasks on an employee's behalf, rather than just answering questions.

More feel confident in the math

One of the biggest jumps concerns how confident leaders are in assessing what an AI investment is worth to the business. 90 percent say they are confident in doing so. In 2025, the figure was 49 percent, and in 2023 it was 33 percent.

What do they get out of it?

Asked about benefits, 35 percent of leaders cite better employee well-being and employee retention. 34 percent cite a better customer experience and product innovation, meaning new and better products.

Leaders also have concerns. 24 percent worry that competitors are adopting AI faster than they are. An equal share, 24 percent, fear that upskilling employees, meaning training in how to use AI, will fall short.

Darren Hardman, head of Microsoft UK & Ireland, says AI is now a central driver of real business transformation, and that the era of isolated AI projects is over.

What does it mean?

The survey is about UK leaders, but it points to a trend many workplaces will recognize: AI has gone from being an experiment to being part of the strategy. However, the survey only says something about what the leaders themselves report. Employees' experience of the shift is not included in the figures reported here.