Half of SMEs Using AI -With Limited Headcount Impact So Far

More than half of UK firms (54%) are now actively using AI, according to new research by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), in partnership with Atos, showing a major jump in tech adoption.   Previous BCC research found that 35% of firms were using AI in 2025, up from 25% in 2024 and 23% in 2023.  The fresh research also shows that more than 9 in 10 (95%) SMEs using AI report it has had no impact on workforce size over the past year, most firms (86%) say job roles have remained unchanged.

These findings are part of the new BCC report Future of Work: AI in the Workplace Report based on groundbreaking analysis by the BCC Insights Unit and the University of Essex ESRC Centre for Micro-Social Change (MiSoC). Around 94% of the firms surveyed were SMEs. The report shows:

  • AI adoption has accelerated but is uneven across sectors: Larger SMEs and B2B professional services firms lead AI adoption, while smaller firms and consumer-facing and manufacturing sectors are slower to adopt.
  • Most firms using AI say it has had no impact on headcount: Most SMEs say AI is currently being used to support employees rather than replace them.
  • Generic AI vs Bespoke AI users: A smaller group of SMEs (one in ten) are adopting deeper bespoke AI and are more likely to expect headcount reductions than generic users. Likewise, 14% of SMEs investing in AI training anticipate headcount reductions over the next 12 months, suggesting that advanced AI adoption may drive broader restructuring.
  • Productivity gains tied to adoption maturity: SMEs already using AI report strong net productivity improvement expectations (+71pp), while firms planning to adopt or unsure show far lower optimism.

Read the full report here

Read the technical paper here

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