UK SMEs save over half a day a week with AI, but many businesses risk being left behind

• One in five still not using AI at all; gaps among the smallest businesses, older professionals and regionally 

• OpenAI, Booking.com and Enterprise Nation to launch new SME AI Accelerator campaign in the UK to help close the gap 

UK SMEs using AI are saving more than half a day each week (5.2 hours), according to new research from OpenAI. However, the benefits are not evenly distributed, as the findings highlight gaps based on business size, region, demographics and sector. 

A survey of 1,000 UK SME decision-makers found that one in five SMEs still do not use AI at work at all (19%), and many risk missing out. Key trends include: 

• Small firms lag: More than one in three sole traders (37%) and one in four micro businesses* (25%) don’t use AI at all, compared with just 5% of medium-sized firms**. 

• Cabbpability gap: More than half of medium-sized firms that use AI automate tasks (58%) vs just over a third of micro businesses (37%), and one in three use AI agents (34%) vs fewer than one in five micro businesses (18%). 

• Regional divide: Almost all businesses in London now use AI at work (93%), while around one in four firms in regions including Yorkshire & Humber (26%), the South West (28%), and Scotland (24%) do not use it at all. 

• Adoption skews younger: Two in five SME decision-makers aged 55+ do not use AI at all (40%), compared with less than one in ten of those aged 18-34 (8%). 

• Sector disparity: Technology is the biggest adopter (95%), while almost one in three hospitality and leisure businesses (30%) don’t use AI at all.  

Meanwhile, the benefits of adopting AI for SMEs are clear. Almost three in four (71%) say AI makes them more effective business leaders. The most cited benefits were time saved (45%), reduced errors (34%), and lowered operational costs (24%).  

Among businesses not using AI, over one in four (28%) pointed to training and skills as a barrier, while less than half of those aged 55+ felt confident using AI (49%).  

To help address these gaps and boost adoption, OpenAI, Booking.com and Enterprise Nation will host a one-day SME AI Accelerator in London on 29 April for SME founders and teams from across the UK, offering free, hands-on training on using AI to boost productivity, save time and build practical business workflows. 

Participants will hear from OpenAI Academy experts and take part in demos, build sprints, and peer learning sessions focused on applying AI to everyday business tasks, from customer communications and content generation to planning, operations and light automation. 

Sanj Bhayro, managing director EMEA sales, said: 

“UK SMEs are already saving over half a day a week thanks to AI, but those benefits aren’t evenly shared. Gaps are emerging across regions, business size, and how deeply firms are able to use AI in practice.

"Without action, the smallest businesses risk being left out of the next wave of growth. Our SME AI Accelerator is built to close that gap – giving SMEs the hands-on skills to move faster, compete, and turn AI into real impact.” 

Ryan Pearson, regional manager UK, Booking.com, said:

"As technology moves faster than ever, readiness for digital growth is becoming essential for businesses of all sizes, including those in the travel sector.  Through the SME AI accelerator we’re creating free, accessible opportunities for upskilling that will support the long-term competitiveness of UK entrepreneurs across all industries.” 

Aaron Asadi, CEO of small business support platform and membership community, Enterprise Nation, added: 

"At Enterprise Nation, we recognise the transformative potential of AI for small businesses. This research tallies with our own findings, and it reinforces our commitment to ensuring every SME, regardless of size or location, gains access to the resources and training needed to harness this technology. We are excited to collaborate with OpenAI for the UK SME AI Accelerator, empowering businesses to work smarter, innovate, and thrive in a competitive landscape."  

Other findings from the research include: 

• Four in five UK SMEs say it matters that their teams are comfortable using AI (80%) 

• ChatGPT was the most popular tool, used by 64%, ahead of Gemini and Copilot (42% each) and Claude (11%). 

• The most common uses are research and summarisation (47%), emails and business communications (42%), and brainstorming (39%). 

• Time saved is being redirected into creative thinking (32%), strategic planning (30%), and improving products and services (30%). 

* Micro businesses = 1-9 employees 
** Medium-sized businesses = 50-249 employees 

Methodology 

Opinium surveyed 1,000 UK SME decision-makers on behalf of OpenAI between 28 February and 12 March 2026. The research examined AI use at work, perceived benefits and barriers, and differences by business size, sector, region and age. Unless otherwise stated, figures are based on all respondents. Smaller subgroup cuts should be treated as indicative.