UK firms lead AI race, whilst regulation holds back EU
UK chief executives are leading with Artificial intelligence (AI) implementation in the workplace compared to their European counterparts, who are struggling with regulation.
New research by Harris, on behalf of AI platform Dataiku, highlighted a significant gap in adoption between the UK and the EU due to regulatory concerns.
The report found that just 26 per cent of UK chief executives reported delaying initiatives due to unclear or evolving regulation, compared to as many as 59 per cent in France.
UK companies appear to be taking a more structured approach, with 23 per cent of chief executives having laid out a formal road map for AI implementation for the year ahead.
This is almost double the global average of 12 per cent, and far ahead of German chief executives. Only five per cent of German bosses reported having a plan in place.
Florian Douetteau, chief executive of Dataiku, said: “The market research in our report suggest reduced regulatory uncertainty is giving UK businesses the clarity to act – accelerating innovation and adoption, even as AI evolved at a relentless pace”.
“When chief executives have confidence in compliance and control over governance, they can move faster, scale smarter and fully capitalise on AI’s potential”, he added.
The EU’s regulatory approach to the tech has generally been stricter than that of the UK. Its AI Act is the most comprehensive framework introduced to date.
Alongside the US, the UK refused to sign the agreement which pledged an open, inclusive and ethical approach to developing AI.
Explaining the decision not to sign the statement, a government spokesperson said that the UK “felt the declaration did not provide enough practical clarity on global governance, nor sufficiently address harder questions around national security and the challenge AI poses to it.”
Notably, US Vice President JD Vance warned against adopting an approach that deterred “innovators from taking the risks necessary to advance”.
Jacob Beswick, senior director of AI governance at Dataiku said: “The EU AI Act has raised more questions than answered, and in the process, businesses within its jurisdiction have become increasingly hesitant about their AI programs”.
“While the UK has fewer restrictions, companies must ensure they are building AI with purpose and responsibility, rather than simply because they can”.