- Four in five plan to increase investment in artificial intelligence despite ongoing challenges
- Skills shortages and outdated learning systems inhibit growth
- AI is also being superimposed on jobs instead of defining them, reducing the benefits
UK businesses are still obsessed with artificial intelligence and investing in it without tackling the underlying challenges, new Accenture research has found.
More than four in five (83%) of respondents said they plan to increase investment in AI tools, seeing it as an important part of future proofing rather than a workforce replacement tool.
In fact, 71% of executives surveyed expect to increase hiring in response to impending changes, suggesting that AI is playing a bigger role in driving business growth than it is in reducing the workforce.
These are the challenges associated with AI adoption
Even as companies continue to invest in artificial intelligence, Accenture found that they are struggling to overcome some key implementation barriers, and they are the same ones we hear about time and time again.
Around a quarter (27%) cite skills shortages and outdated learning systems as barriers, and only 43% so far say they plan to upskill employees this year. Employees are also far less likely to believe they have the right basic training to use AI compared to managers.
But it’s not just skills readiness that’s under fire – the entire implementation process itself is seeing users split into two groups: those who fully embrace it, and those who invest blindly without a carefully considered plan. Only 9% of companies are redesigning roles or responsibilities, indicating that AI is simply being layered on top of existing jobs rather than being used to its full transformational potential.
“The organizations that lead in 2026 will be those that pair technology investment with clarity about skills, roles and opportunities and treat workforce transformation as a strategic priority, not an afterthought,” UK&I CEO Matt Prebble summed up.
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