'A critical point': Nearly 80% of UK firms have adopted AI but barely any
are seeing a positive ROI so far

Date:
Wed, 25 Mar 2026 19:20:00 +0000

Description:
UK businesses widely adopt AI tools, yet weak planning, unclear goals, and inconsistent tracking continue to limit measurable returns and outcomes.

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adoption surged across UK firms, while measurable financial returns are limited Most companies lack clear success definitions despite widespread AI integration across operations Rapid AI deployment continues without
structured planning or consistent performance evaluation frameworks
Artificial intelligence has quickly moved into mainstream business operations across the United Kingdom, with 78% of firms now using AI tools in some capacity, new research from Studio Graphene has claimed.

This rapid uptake reflects growing interest in automation and efficiency, particularly among mid-sized organisations where adoption has reached 85%. A further segment of businesses remains undecided, with 14% still exploring options or planning deployment by 2026, while a smaller group has opted out entirely. Article continues below You may like CEOs want to spend more on AI
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planning The study notes that despite widespread AI use, financial outcomes remain uncertain for most organisations - as only 31% of businesses report a positive ROI, suggesting that adoption alone has not translated into measurable gains.

Meanwhile, 18% say their projects have failed to deliver expected benefits, and 16% report that it remains too early to assess outcomes.

These figures indicate consistent performance improvements have not matched enthusiasm for productivity tools .

A key issue emerging from the findings is the lack of clarity around objectives. Just 41% of AI users say they have a clear understanding of what success looks like when deploying these systems. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Even among mid-sized firms, which lead in adoption rates, fewer than half can define meaningful success criteria.

This gap raises questions about how organisations evaluate the effectiveness of AI tools and whether expectations are aligned with actual use cases.

Many organisations are at a critical point in their AI journey There has been a rush to adopt AI amidst huge hype, said Ritam Gandhi, director and founder of Studio Graphene. What to read next Over half of UK businesses have no idea how fast they could stop AI in a crisis AI is helping UK SME workers save 5.2 hours a week, but some businesses are really struggling to keep up Companies are doubling down on AI - despite market warnings

The problem, however, comes when AI is deployed without first defining where it sits within workflow Without defining these things, building a long-term business case for AI and realising its value will be difficult.

The pace of AI adoption suggests that competitive pressure and market visibility are influencing decisions, rather than carefully structured planning in many cases.

Organisations appear to be integrating systems into existing environments without fully mapping how these technologies interact with daily operations
or long-term priorities.

This uneven approach has created a situation where implementation often advances faster than internal alignment, leaving gaps in execution.

Without clear benchmarks, organisations face difficulty tracking whether AI tools are improving outcomes or simply adding complexity, in practice, creating a cycle where adoption continues, yet measurable value remains difficult to isolate or sustain. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us
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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/a-critical-point-nearly-80-of-uk-firms- have-adopted-ai-but-barely-any-are-seeing-a-positive-roi-so-far


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