aibl Research: AI Sentiment Holds Strong Across the UK Mid-Market

Sentiment towards AI across the UK mid-market is strongly positive, even where returns are still unproven. In aibl’s mid-market survey vibe check, 78% of companies reporting positive AI ROI were bullish (40% all-in and 38% feeling the momentum), and among those yet to measure any ROI the bullish share was strikingly close at 67% (16% all-in and 51% feeling the momentum).

Key takeaways

• Among companies reporting positive AI ROI, 78% are bullish: 40% all-in and 38% feeling the momentum.
• Even among those who have not measured any ROI yet, 67% are bullish (16% all-in, 51% feeling the momentum).
• Optimism runs ahead of proven returns across the UK mid-market: the talent is obvious, the system still being worked out.

In keeping with our lead article, we went back into the data from aibl’s mid-market AI survey. This time, we looked at sentiment.

Just before we launched the survey to leaders in the UK’s mid-market, we added a final question. News hits this market constantly, and there’s so much we can’t predict about the trajectory of AI. We wanted a simple way to gauge sentiment, separate from the detailed findings.

Our answer was an AI vibe check. We asked for a quick, instinctive response to the question ‘When it comes to AI, we’re…’, with answers ranging from bearish to all-in.

For all the frustrations and concerns that companies and individuals feel about artificial intelligence, the vibes are strong.

Not surprisingly, the companies that have achieved some success are bullish. Among companies reporting positive AI ROI, 78% are positive (40% ‘all-in’ plus 38% ‘feeling the momentum’). But even among those who haven’t measured any ROI yet, the bullish share is strikingly close: 67% (16% all-in plus 51% feeling the momentum).

As one attendee put it: ‘AI is like a gifted young footballer. We’re still trying to put them in the right system and develop every part of their game, but the talent is obvious.’