The AI Divide: Businesses Risk Falling Behind Without a Clear Strategy
A significant ‘AI divide’ is emerging, and businesses on the wrong side of it are at risk of being quickly outpaced by those with greater AI literacy, according to recent research from Microsoft. The study revealed that while roughly half of businesses and organizations have a clear AI strategy in place, and are preparing for emerging trends in the technology like agentic AI, a similar proportion do not—creating a lost opportunity to boost economic growth and improve public services.
Understanding the ‘AI Divide’
Ever since OpenAI launched ChatGPT in 2022 and advanced language processing became widely accessible, businesses have shown a clear division. Some businesses fully capitalized on the technology, while others lagged. This divide has expanded into a full-blown chasm, according to Microsoft’s research, which is based on a survey of 1,480 UK senior leaders across public and private sectors and 1,400 UK employees.
The data indicates that just under half (45%) of UK business leaders currently have a formal AI strategy. These are the businesses that are outperforming the 55% that are not using AI to its full potential in terms of productivity and profitability.
At a time when UK employees are dealing with escalating workload pressures, Microsoft’s survey also revealed that this AI divide extends to the workforce. More than half of business leaders reported a widening efficiency and productivity gap between workers who use AI and those who don’t.
The Rise of Agentic AI
Microsoft’s research suggests that AI agents hold the key to significantly improving operational efficiency, especially for businesses with complex administrative processes. These can include healthcare, banking and finance, and retail industries.
“Agentic AI covers a range of virtual tools – or ‘agents’ – from simple chatbots that retrieve information and answer questions; tools like Copilots which automate tasks and workflows; through to fully autonomous systems that learn, plan, and act with minimal human input.” – Microsoft’s UK reporter
According to Microsoft’s report, agentic AI technologies can help businesses overcome barriers to productivity and unlock growth. The UK’s Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology agrees, explaining that agents will play a key role in closing the widening AI divide by enabling organizations to work smarter, not harder.
The majority (72%) of UK business leaders expect AI agents to be fully integrated into their operations in the near future. And while Microsoft may have a vested interest in the matter, findings from our latest Annual Impact of Tech on the Workplace report agree.
Developing a Winning AI Strategy
If your business isn’t using AI to its full potential, there are a number of actions your organization can take to maintain its competitive edge. Consider these steps:
- Identify Automation Opportunities: Look for processes that would benefit the most from automation, such as those featuring repetitive tasks or high error rates.
- Explore Industry Use Cases: Understand how similar organizations are using AI to solve problems.
- Consider Agentic AI Implementation: Deploying agentic AI could be a good place to start, especially if you already have a basic understanding of the technology. Simple applications include using a customer-facing chatbot.
- Define AI Goals: Clearly define your business’s AI goals and regularly review success against these metrics.
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Develop an AI Policy: Create an AI policy with clear guardrails to ensure ethical, safe technology use in compliance with regulations.
By addressing the looming ‘AI divide’ with a clear strategy, businesses can position themselves for economic growth and improved performance.
