How many UK businesses use AI?
The share of UK businesses that said they currently use at least one AI technology, 21 September 2026 to 4 October 2026. That is 29.7%, from 9,933 responding businesses (ONS BICS wave 165).
- 29.7%UK businesses using AI The share of UK businesses that said they currently use at least one AI technology, 21 September 2026 to 4 October 2026. UK businesses of all sizes trading in the survey period, weighted by count · n = 9,933 · ONS BICS wave 165
- +0.8Change since June 2026 (points) How far the share using AI moved since the survey last asked, in percentage points (wave 159 to wave 165). as above, against the previous time the question was asked · n = 9,933 · ONS BICS wave 165
- +6.2Change over a year (points) How far the share using AI moved in about a year, in percentage points (wave 141 to wave 165). as above, against the same question a year earlier · n = 9,933 · ONS BICS wave 165
- 28.7%Firms with 0-9 staff The share of the smallest UK businesses, with fewer than 10 staff, that use at least one AI technology. UK businesses with 0-9 staff, weighted by count · n = 9,933 · ONS BICS wave 165
UK Business AI Adoption over time
The share of UK businesses using AI in every survey since the question was first asked, for all businesses and by size. The latest point is this edition. 13 points in all.
| Date | All businesses | 0-9 staff | 10-49 staff | 250+ staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 September 2023 to 1 October 2023 | 9.4% | 9.1% | 11.3% | 18.7% |
| 11 December 2023 to 24 December 2023 | 9.9% | 9.6% | 10.9% | 19.1% |
| 18 March 2024 to 31 March 2024 | 13.8% | 13.9% | 12.8% | 23.8% |
| 17 June 2024 to 30 June 2024 | 12.7% | 12.5% | 13.7% | 25.4% |
| 16 September 2024 to 29 September 2024 | 14.7% | 14.4% | 16.7% | 30.4% |
| 16 December 2024 to 29 December 2024 | 16.1% | 15.9% | 17.4% | 28.2% |
| 17 March 2025 to 30 March 2025 | 17.8% | 17.6% | 19.7% | 31.2% |
| 16 June 2025 to 29 June 2025 | 20.5% | 19.9% | 23.9% | 36% |
| 15 September 2025 to 28 September 2025 | 23.5% | 23.1% | 25.8% | 39.4% |
| 15 December 2025 to 28 December 2025 | 24.7% | 24.3% | 27.2% | 44.4% |
| 16 March 2026 to 29 March 2026 | 25.9% | 25.1% | 30.3% | 44.6% |
| 15 June 2026 to 28 June 2026 | 28.9% | 28.2% | 33.1% | 48.6% |
| 21 September 2026 to 4 October 2026 | 29.7% | 28.7% | 36.1% | 50.9% |
Why we track UK business AI adoption
Is AI catching on in UK business, or is it still mostly talk? The Office for National Statistics asks thousands of businesses every few months, and this report turns each answer into one dated, citable figure, with the trend since 2023 and every size band and sector.
We track it because it is the clearest official measure of what businesses actually do with AI, not what they plan. Read it beside our AI News Tone report, which tracks what the news says in the same months, and our guide to staying ahead with AI. The ONS release on AI in UK businesses has the full tables.
Every edition of UK business AI adoption
Each edition is frozen when it is published; a later fix is a dated correction on that edition, never a silent change.
How UK business AI adoption is measured
A business "uses AI" when it says it currently uses at least one AI technology the survey lists - every answer except "does not currently use" and "not sure". Shares are the ONS weighted estimates (weighted by business count) for UK businesses trading in the survey period, all sizes, with Mining and quarrying folded into the total by the ONS. Cells the ONS withholds for confidentiality are shown as withheld, never estimated.
What it does not tell you
- The survey asks about AI every sixth wave (about once a quarter), so each edition is one survey period, not a monthly average.
- Shares are of businesses, not of workers or turnover: a sole trader counts the same as a large firm.
- Businesses answer for themselves; "not sure" is reported separately rather than counted either way.
Method versions
- Version 1, 2026-10-26
Sources
How to cite UK business AI adoption
Quote a figure with the edition it came from - each edition has its own cite line. To cite the report as a whole, use this.
Eclipse Labs AI (2026). UK Business AI Adoption. https://eclipse-labs.ai/reports/uk-business-ai-adoption. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions about UK business AI adoption
It comes from the Office for National Statistics Business Insights and Conditions Survey, which asks thousands of UK businesses every fortnight about trading conditions and, every sixth wave, about AI. We read the published spreadsheet with a script, keep the weighted estimates exactly as published and freeze them with each edition. The ONS dataset page has every wave.
Yes. The ONS publishes AI use for every size band, including businesses with fewer than 10 staff, so the report shows the smallest firms separately from those with 10 to 49 staff and the largest. The headline figure covers UK businesses of all sizes, weighted by count. Our guide on where to start with AI is written for the smallest firms.
A business counts as using AI when it says it currently uses at least one of the AI technologies the survey lists, such as text generation with large language models, visual content creation or data processing with machine learning. Businesses that answer "not sure" are shown separately rather than counted either way, so the headline never overstates use.
Surveys ask different questions of different businesses. Some count only firms with 10 or more staff, some ask whether AI was ever used rather than used now, and some sample only firms that handle data. This report follows one question from one official survey over time, so its trend is consistent even where its level differs from others.
Yes. Quote the figure with the edition it came from and a link; each edition has a cite-this line to copy and a CSV of every number, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. The underlying ONS data is Crown copyright under the Open Government Licence. See every report for the others we publish.