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The research shows that business leaders are now using AI more frequently than a human for mentorship. In fact, just 16 % turn to a person for business advice on a daily basis, which came in at 10 % less than those who use GenAI. Reflecting on the human element, a third( 32 %) said they had only received human mentorship once or twice in total and a further 26 % said they had only received such mentorship a handful of times( three or more). an overwhelmingly positive impact on business success. According to respondents, 59 % said AI has improved operations and 35 % said it has already helped their business to grow. Looking forward, 62 % still see AI as a worthwhile investment and a significant 82 % said it will help them to further accelerate business growth.

Despite its popularity, AI confidence is low

Despite the widespread popularity of GenAI use amongst business leaders, a vast majority are still not confident they know how to use it most effectively. Nearly half( 47 %) of UK business leaders admit that they have taught themselves how to use GenAI but are not confident in their skills. they have had no training on how to use GenAI tools( all their experience is selftaught) and a significant 89 % would like more training to get the most out of AI.

The challenges that remain

While 62 % of business leaders use GenAI once a day or more, some barriers to adoption remain. Interestingly, one in four( 23 %) of respondents cited moral objections, and one in five( 20 %) said‘ environmental concerns’ were their biggest concerns for adoption.

‘ Security concerns’ came out as the biggest barrier to GenAI adoption, as cited by 56 % of respondents. This is perhaps unsurprising, considering ongoing reports of hallucinations, data harvesting and inaccuracies.

Beyond the interpersonal implications of these findings, AI is also having

There is also a clear opportunity to improve AI training in the UK; 70 % revealed

One third of respondents also identified‘ costs’ as their biggest challenge, whereas 27 % said that lack of understanding still holds them back.

Simon Haighton-Williams, CEO at The Adaptavist Group, said:“ Evidently, leaders are turning to AI en masse to fill crucial functions, particularly where human mentorship is lacking. But many are doing so without full confidence in their knowledge or without the support to be sure they are leveraging AI effectively.

“ Keir Starmer recently said we must‘ mainline AI into the UK’ s veins’, but that ambition demands more than investment in technology, it requires investment in people on every rung of the business leadership ladder. This will support safe, responsible and ethical AI adoption amongst businesses in the UK.” x

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