The findings, from the Practical Insights from AI Leaders report, includes responses from 104 UK senior business and technology leaders. Only a fifth (20%) of leaders say they have everything they need to scale effectively; the majority are still maturing their approaches.

UK enterprises must address the skills gaps as part of their future AI strategies for long-term success. Two key changes for future AI projects to keep pace will include hiring internal (34%) AI expertise and external AI expertise (32%). UK leaders believe the next wave of AI skills most relevant in the future will be:

• Human-AI interaction (33%)
• Data analysis and visualisation (28%)
• Data management (27%)

The good news is that investment and employee retention is strong, with nearly half (49%) confirming AI budget allocation will increase significantly in the three years. While the majority (86%) of respondents report satisfaction with their ability to attract and retain AI talent, which is crucial for consistency.

Commenting on the findings, Cathal McCarthy, Chief Strategy Officer at Kore.ai, said: “AI’s greatest power is amplifying the human touch. But to do that, humans need to have the right skills to work with it. This research shows that while UK enterprises are eager to harness AI, the skills gap is a pressing challenge that threatens to stall momentum.

“To unlock the full potential of AI at scale, organisations must look beyond short-term fixes and invest in building sustainable expertise through upskilling existing teams, forging the right partnerships and new hires, or rethinking how humans and AI will collaborate in the workplace. The companies that succeed will be those that treat their talent strategy as an integral part of their AI strategy.”

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