A recent survey has revealed that the productivity efforts of a significant majority of UK business leaders—85 percent—are currently hindered by economic challenges, employee stress, and difficulties in implementing new productivity tools. The survey, conducted by Opinium for process intelligence company Celonis, engaged 500 UK decision-makers, shedding light on their perspectives amid a challenging economic landscape.
These findings emerge against a backdrop of anticipated economic conditions, including an impending rise in National Insurance rates in 2025, with 57 percent of companies reporting issues with employee turnover, as highlighted in data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
As UK businesses navigate these economic pressures, the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly front of mind for decision-makers. The survey indicated that 39 percent of leaders believe enhanced support for AI implementations could significantly drive economic growth in the UK. This was compared to 36 percent who consider reducing regulatory burdens and 35 percent who favour cutting business tax rates as avenues for fostering growth. Furthermore, 46 percent of respondents expressed confidence that AI-driven technologies would enhance employee productivity in the future, overshadowing traditional measures such as return-to-office mandates, which garnered support from just 19 percent.
Despite the strong interest in AI solutions, the survey also highlighted notable discrepancies in how effectively businesses are utilising their AI investments. While 94 percent of respondents reported deriving some value from their AI initiatives, only one in five indicated they were achieving maximum value. A substantial portion—36 percent—acknowledged struggles in fully maximizing returns from their investments, with only 1 percent reporting minimal value and 17 percent receiving a return equal to or less than their investment.
Giuseppe de Giacomo, a professor of computer science at the University of Oxford, provided insight into the challenges surrounding AI's current deployment. He noted, “The kind of AI currently being deployed, while surprisingly capable of accomplishing tasks that require language fluency, lacks the deep conceptual reasoning capabilities that people possess. Its understanding remains somewhat shallow and is unable to replace the strategic or empathetic parts of work that are so crucial." He highlighted the importance for business leaders to bridge this understanding gap and to measure the effectiveness of their AI implementations.
Rupal Karia, the country leader for the UK and Ireland at Celonis, echoed these sentiments, stating, “Yet, there’s a gap between AI’s promise and its ability to deliver tangible results. Process Intelligence closes this gap. It provides a unique class of data and business context that enables process improvement across systems, departments and organizations. Process Intelligence ensures AI has the knowledge to understand how the business runs and how to make it run better.”
Overall, as AI adoption continues to expand, businesses are optimistic that it could lead to enhanced morale, expedited processes, and a shift towards higher-value tasks for employees, signifying the potential long-term benefits of AI technologies in the business landscape.
Source: Noah Wire Services