UK businesses using AI are seeing efficiency gains, cost savings and increased revenue - but older firms and businesses outside London risk falling behind.
A report which features data from 5.3 million businesses worldwide found 70 per cent of UK firms now use AI in some capacity.
With 77 per cent reporting increased productivity as a result, while 43 per cent claim it has increased their revenue.
More than one in four (27 per cent) also claim the use of AI has made their workdays shorter and 28 per cent have seen costs decrease.
But some business risk falling behind with mature firms 35 per cent less likely to adopt AI, while London businesses are 13.8 percentage points more likely to use it daily than the national average.
Intuit’s 2026 AI Impact Report [https://quickbooks.intuit.com/uk/blog/ai-impact-report/?cid=pr_TOF_QBB_blog_UK_EN_AlwaysOn_AIImpactReport] combined anonymised administrative data from more than 5.3 million businesses using QuickBooks, alongside surveys of more than 34,000 businesses across the UK, Canada, US and Australia.
Andrew Price, CEO and co-founder of Synapx, said: “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, not just short-term efficiency.
“We're seeing a growing divide between businesses that are experimenting with AI and those that are embedding it into day-to-day operations.”
As policymakers and business leaders gather for London Tech Week, the data also suggests a gap in how businesses across the UK are adopting AI.
With London businesses 13.2 percentage points more likely to use AI extensively across their business.
But South East businesses are 13.8 percentage points more likely than the national average to say they never use AI, while South West firms are 14.9 percentage points less likely to report extensive AI use.
Businesses in Wales are also more likely to report using AI in a limited or testing capacity rather than at scale.
Despite the geographical differences, the study shows many who are adopting it are seeing the rewards, with 20 per cent reported they are making more hires due to AI.
This compares to just eight per cent who have made cuts.
Ciarán Quilty, from Intuit, said: "UK businesses aren’t short of tools, they’re short of time and clarity.
“We’re seeing a shift from reactive software to proactive AI embedded into businesses systems that actually do work on behalf of the customer.
“By embedding AI directly into key workflows, businesses spend less time managing admin and more time making confident decisions about how they grow.
“Usage of this kind is growing and ambitious businesses are beginning to reap the benefits.”
