Nearly half of UK small business owners use AI, but only one in five feels confident
Summary of Simply Business, 8 September 2026Source read
Simply Business's 2026 SME Insights Report, covering 1,842 UK small business owners, puts AI use at 47%, up from 22% in 2025. Only 19% call themselves very confident with it. Security and privacy worry 44%, 39% see no clear use, and 36% worry about accuracy.
- 47%
- use AI tools, up from 22% in 2025
- 19%
- are very confident using it day to day
- 39%
- see no clear use for AI in their business
What it means for a small firm
Four in ten owners have not found a use, and the cure is not another tool. Someone has to sit with the owner and find the job first.
Original source
AI use among UK small businesses more than doubles in a year
Simply Business
This page is our own summary, written 23 October 2026. The figures belong to the publisher. We checked them against the publisher’s page on the date above.