More than half of UK SMEs now use AI, and almost none have cut jobs
Summary of Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, 19 March 2026Source read
A British Chambers of Commerce survey run with Atos found that 54% of UK firms now actively use AI, up from 35% a year earlier. Among the firms using it, 95% saw no change in headcount and 86% said job roles stayed the same. Larger SMEs and business-to-business professional services lead; smaller, consumer-facing and manufacturing firms trail.
- 54%
- of firms actively use AI, up from 35% in 2025
- 95%
- of users report no change in headcount
- 1 in 10
- have gone beyond generic tools to bespoke AI
What it means for a small firm
Most firms are using chat tools, not changed processes. The gap between using AI and having it change a result in the books is where the work sits.
Original source
Major jump in tech adoption as study finds half of SMEs using AI, with limited headcount impact so far
Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex
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.