UK small businesses report 70% confidence in AI yet only 48% use it regularly
According to new research from the Small Business Institute and Accio, Alibaba.com’s agentic AI platform, UK small business owners show 70% confidence in generative AI but only 48% use it regularly. Among those using AI, 74% apply it to content creation and marketing, while just 44% have heard of agentic AI and only 5% use it regularly.
The research surveyed 1,000 UK small business owners to gauge confidence and actual usage of generative AI tools. While confidence is high, only 48% report regular use, indicating a sizable gap between belief and practice. Among those who do use AI, 74% focus on content creation and marketing, far outpacing applications in data analysis or supply chain management. Awareness of agentic AI remains limited, with just 44% having heard of it and only 5% using it regularly, yet 68% express interest in learning more about its capabilities.
“We’re entering the era of agentic AI with tools like Accio, which can research markets, evaluate suppliers and manage day-to-day operations on a business’ s behalf, enabling small businesses to progress more business-critical workstreams at once, access more insightful information on suppliers, trends and market data and save more time day-to-day for greater work-life balance or other areas of their business,” Michelle Lau, Managing Director, Alibaba.com said.
“We know small business owners wear many different hats when running their businesses, so it’s hugely encouraging to see growing confidence in AI as a critical tool. However, the research also makes clear AI’s – and particularly agentic AI’s – untapped potential. There is a real opportunity for technology to completely revolutionise how small business owners manage their business, potentially freeing up more time to focus on the areas that can really take their business to the next level,” Michelle Ovens, CEO & Founder, Small Business Britain said.
Based on a study of 1,000 UK small business owners, the research found seven in ten (70%) are som
What we know
1,000 UK small business owners were surveyed
70% of respondents are somewhat or very confident using generative AI
48% of respondents use generative AI regularly
74% of AI-using small businesses apply it to content creation and marketing
44% of small businesses have heard of agentic AI