A recent study found that nearly one in three hospitality companies (30%) do not use AI in the workplace, making it one of the industries with the lowest adoption rates.
According to a survey of 1,000 UK small and medium-sized business decision makers conducted between February and March by OpenAI, the US artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, around one in five small and medium-sized businesses do not use AI.
Slightly larger companies are more likely to experiment with AI, with more than half (58%) of medium-sized companies using AI to automate tasks, and a further one in three (34%) using AI agents.
Almost all companies in London (93%) were using AI in the workplace, while one in four companies in regions such as Yorkshire and the Humber (26%), the South West (28%) and Scotland (24%) were not using AI at all.
The most common use cases for AI are research and summarization (47%), email and business communications (42%), and brainstorming (39%), with time savings (45%), fewer errors (34%), and lower operational costs (24%) cited as top benefits.
AI-savvy companies also say the time saved by using these tools (as much as 5.2 hours per week) could be redirected to creative thinking (32%), strategic planning (30%), and product and service improvement (30%).
More than a quarter of businesses not using AI cited training and skills barriers, and less than half (49%) of businesses aged 55 and older felt confident in using AI.
In response to these findings, OpenAI, Booking.com and Enterprise Nation have partnered to host a one-day SME AI accelerator in London on April 29th for small business founders and teams from across the UK.
Sanji Byro, managing director of EMEA sales at OpenAI, said: “UK SMEs are already saving more than half a day a week thanks to AI, but the benefits are not shared equally. There are disparities by region, business size and how well companies can actually leverage AI. Without action, the smallest businesses risk being left out of the next wave of growth. Our SME AI “The Accelerator is built to fill that gap, giving small and medium-sized businesses practical skills to move, compete, and pivot faster.” AI is now having a real impact. ”
Ryan Pearson, UK regional manager at Booking.com, added: “As technology evolves faster than ever, it is imperative for businesses of all sizes, including the travel industry, to adapt to digital growth. Through the SME AI Accelerator, we are creating free and accessible upskilling opportunities that support the long-term competitiveness of UK entrepreneurs across all industries.”
