In the UK, the majority of IT leaders (91 percent) acknowledge AI as a significant opportunity for transforming their organizations. Nearly all businesses are either planning or already adopting AI, with 42 percent actively developing an AI-first strategy. It is anticipated that almost half of IT budgets and time will be dedicated to AI in the coming year. However, there are challenges.

A third of UK businesses view escalating energy costs as a threat to their innovation capabilities, a concern particularly pronounced in the UK compared to the global scenario. Technology debt is seen as a substantial challenge, with 34 percent of businesses struggling to keep up with the pace of innovation, including 56 percent focused on operational continuity and firefighting. The UK stands out as having the highest percentage in these areas among countries in the global report. Additionally, a growing tech talent shortage is compounding the existing struggles, with 37 percent identifying it as one of the greatest risks to their ability to innovate.

Wes van den Berg, regional vice president, UK and Ireland at Pure Storage, highlighted the concerns of UK IT leaders, expressing that they fear losing the innovation race due to worries about their infrastructure’s capacity to support AI. He emphasized the aim of the research to provide insight on risks beyond cyber threats, with the goal of enabling organizations to prioritize and strike a balance between security and innovation.