The main issues standing in the way of successful AI deployment include a lack of trust in the technology, regulatory hurdles, and governance problems. As a result, many AI projects are stuck in the planning phase, with some even being abandoned. UK businesses are increasingly turning to ready-made AI solutions as a way to ease into the technology and see a quicker return on investment.

AI Projects Stalling at Planning Stage

Qlik’s findings showed that a significant 91% of senior AI decision makers believe AI is crucial to organisational success, contributing to strategic goals and profitability. However, despite this belief, many AI initiatives fail to move past the planning stage. Some are scrapped altogether. Approximately 11% of UK businesses currently have between 50 and 100 AI projects still in planning, while 20% have had up to 50 projects paused or cancelled after reaching the planning stage.

Progressing more AI initiatives from planning to actual deployment is critical for UK companies to reap the benefits of their investment and stay competitive. With this in mind, nearly 79% of AI decision makers are now opting for pre-built AI solutions to accelerate development and implementation.

Barriers to AI Success: Governance, Regulation, and Trust

Several barriers are preventing these AI projects from coming to fruition. The most cited issues include data governance (28%), regulatory challenges (22%), and a lack of clear accountability within the business (20%).

Although most organisations understand the importance of AI – 98% of respondents acknowledged knowing which AI applications could benefit their business – trust remains a significant hurdle. Nearly 41% of AI decision makers said their senior managers are wary of the technology, 17% reported that customers don’t trust it, and 58% said this mistrust is causing a reduction in AI investment. To bridge this gap, 78% of businesses are looking to better communicate the advantages of AI to both internal stakeholders and customers.

Positioning the UK as an AI Leader

For the UK to become a global leader in AI, businesses must build stronger AI skills across their workforce. While 76% of AI decision makers believe the UK could lead in AI skills within the next five years, 27% said a lack of data analytics tools and capabilities is a barrier to achieving their AI goals.

To address these shortcomings, 83% of those surveyed called for more emphasis on upskilling staff, while 82% believed that the UK government should offer additional funding and training to support AI development.

James Fisher, Chief Strategy Officer at Qlik, said: “Our research confirms that UK businesses know the value of AI, but barriers still exist to widescale successful deployment of the technology. Understanding the value of sharing insights and benefits of AI across the business and senior management team, will help to limit the number of AI projects getting stuck in planning or being forced to cancel.

“Generative AI offers new potential for businesses to take full advantage the data available to them. The simplicity of plug-and-play solutions provides businesses with a foundation for their AI projects which can help address challenges around trust and governance by reducing risk and complexity, whilst ensuring businesses are reaping the benefits that AI can offer.”

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