Subj : UK businesses are quickly turning to AI to help navigate two big
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Tue Sep 09 2025 11:15:10

UK businesses are quickly turning to AI to help navigate two big issues - 
economic uncertainty and energy

Date:
Tue, 09 Sep 2025 10:08:00 +0000

Description:
Economic uncertainty and rising energy costs and causing apprehension among 
UK businesses.

FULL STORY
======================================================================UK 
businesses are wary of the economy and the upcoming Autumn Budget Rising 
energy costs are causing them to rethink their budgets 89% are turning to AI 
to solve their biggest problems 

Business leaders see AI delivering improved innovation (32%), better 
decision-making (31%), enhanced customer experience (30%) and reduced 
operational costs (30%), according to new Barclays research. 

However, time and time again we hear that companies continue to face the same 
challenges, with 39% citing AI and digital skills as the biggest shortage. 

This is even more pronounced in financial services (52%), IT & telecoms (48%) 
and tech (51%) sectors. UK businesses are truly on board with AI 

The average business investment in AI and tech over the past year has 
approached nearly a quarter of a million pounds, with larger companies 
pushing beyond the 400,000 mark, and yet 68% still plan on increasing 
investments over the next 12 months. 

Staff training (42%) and improved digital products (37%) will be the key 
focus areas, indicative of an understanding that companies need to prepare 
workers for impending changes. 

Despite economic and energy challenges, UK businesses are pushing ahead with 
AI and skills investment to unlock productivity and growth, Barclays Business 
Banking Managing Director Abdul Qureshi noted. 

Still, economic headwinds are causing some caution. More than half (55%) are 
planning to wait until the Autumn Budget before confirming renewed 
investments. The number of businesses confident in the UK and global 
economies (65%) has also dropped quarter-over-quarter. 

Most (84%) businesses have also been impacted by rising energy prices, with 
39% noting a need to adjust budgets in response. 

Looking ahead, 89% of businesses are now looking to AI to solve problems over 
the next two years. 

Our research suggests that AI is becoming a key tool to drive innovation, 
encourage investment and upskilling to lift productivity and build confidence 
in the UK as a global business hub, Barclays UK Corporate Banking CEO Matt 
Hammerstein concluded. You might also like Most companies are now fully 
AI-ready - but some worry they're relying on it too much Weve listed the best 
AI tools and best AI writers Check out the best productivity apps



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/uk-businesses-are-quickly-turning-to-ai-to-help-
navigate-two-big-issues-economic-uncertainty-and-energy


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