SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Jitterbit has published research showing a divide between UK and US technology leaders over whether to buy or build AI agents, highlighting a split in enterprise preferences for agentic automation.

Its data shows that 51% of UK organisations prefer pre-built agents for building and deploying AI agent automations, while 48% rely on custom-made systems. In the US, the pattern is reversed: 55% of respondents favour custom-built code developed entirely in-house, while 45% lean toward pre-built agents.

The figures come from Jitterbit’s 2026 AI Automation Benchmark Report, which examines how IT decision-makers are approaching AI and automation. It suggests UK companies place greater value on speed and efficiency than on bespoke development as they expand their use of AI agents.

Among UK respondents, 43% preferred agents embedded in pre-built software-as-a-service applications. By contrast, 28% preferred building their own low-code or no-code integration platforms, while 20% favoured in-house custom-coded agents built through tools such as Lovable or similar services. Only 8% chose off-the-shelf agents as their primary source.

Cost pressure

Jitterbit linked the strategic divide to the changing economics of AI deployment, arguing that rising token costs and heavier use of large language models are making bespoke development less attractive, particularly for companies weighing the ongoing cost of maintaining internal systems.

This reflects a wider market concern over the total cost of AI projects. Many companies have invested heavily in internal engineering teams and AI experimentation, but spending on inference, integration and model usage has become a more visible budget issue as projects move into broader business use.

The report also found that 81% of organisations plan to increase funding for AI and automation over the next 12 months, suggesting demand remains strong even as businesses become more selective about deployment and expected returns.

Build or buy

The contrast between the UK and the US also points to different corporate cultures around software development. US engineering teams appear more willing to keep AI agent development in-house, while British organisations show greater readiness to adopt pre-built options from software vendors.

The distinction matters because AI agents are moving from pilot projects into mainstream operational tools. Companies are using them for process automation, application integration and task orchestration, so decisions on whether to build internally or buy ready-made systems can affect budgets, deployment times and the level of technical oversight required.

Pre-built systems can offer faster implementation and more predictable supplier support, while custom builds can provide greater control over workflows and internal data handling. The findings suggest this trade-off is becoming sharper as AI consumption costs rise and boards demand clearer evidence of value.

For UK businesses, the research indicates that caution over custom development is not simply technical conservatism. It also reflects a pragmatic response to the pressure of deploying AI tools at scale without taking on open-ended costs tied to internal development and token use.

Bill Conner, president and chief executive officer of Jitterbit, said the market is moving into a new phase as AI projects become more integrated into core operations.

“We are moving past the era of siloed AI experimentation and entering the era of pure orchestration,” Conner said.

He said economic pressure is reshaping how companies assess custom systems against pre-built alternatives.

“The market is waking up to the true total cost of ownership of custom AI. Between developer bottlenecks and soaring token costs, building everything from scratch is a luxury few can sustain. The UK’s slight preference for pre-built applications may have previously been considered cautious, but it’s proving to be highly strategic as economic pressures force a shift from development to intelligent integration,” Conner said.

Cotswolds Designer Outlet is marking its first anniversary by inviting anyone born between July 13 and July 19 of any year to visit the centre and collect a free birthday gift.

Adrian Field, centre manager at Cotswolds Designer Outlet, said: “We wanted to mark our first birthday in a way that felt fun, memorable and, most importantly, involved the community that has supported us throughout our first year.

“We know there must be hundreds of people across the region who share our birthday week, so we’re inviting them to come and celebrate with us.

“Whether you’re turning one or one hundred, we’d love to welcome you and help make your birthday even more special.”

Visitors are encouraged to bring ID such as a passport, driving licence, or birth certificate to claim their gift.

The birthday celebrations include lots of free activities, entertainment and exclusive anniversary offers from big-name brands and local favourites.

While supplies last, all ‘birthday twins’ will receive a free birthday gift to mark the occasion.

Further details about the anniversary events are available at cotswoldsdesigneroutlet.com.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Facewatch will launch a retail crime management platform this autumn that includes a real-time police alert feature for high-risk offenders entering shops. It describes the system as the first of its kind in the UK.

After testing with existing retail partners, the platform will combine live facial recognition, incident reporting, case management and evidence workflows for police use in a single system.

The new police alert function will send an instant notification when live facial recognition matches a person categorised as a serious offender as they enter a protected store. The aim is to let officers respond while an incident is taking place, rather than after a report has been filed.

The launch comes as retailers continue to report high levels of theft, abuse and violence against shop workers. Facewatch linked it to changes under the Crime and Policing Act 2026, which introduced stronger protections for retail staff and removed the previous £200 threshold for low-value shop theft.

Originally founded as a digital reporting tool for businesses sending incident reports to police, Facewatch later shifted its focus to live facial recognition in retail settings. The latest launch brings those strands together, combining prevention, reporting and evidence handling in one product.

Its network currently sends more than 50,000 positive alerts a month to thousands of stores across the UK when a known offender is detected on the premises, according to the company. Facewatch said the system generated more than 500,000 real-time alerts in 2025 and reached a record 55,462 positive alerts in May 2026.

Facewatch said its alerting process checks each match with two algorithms before a human verification stage, producing 99.98% operational accuracy before an alert is sent to a retailer. It added that the new police warning system would notify officers within an average of four seconds when the most serious offenders are identified on its network.

Police Response

Nick Fisher, Chief Executive Officer of Facewatch, said retailers had asked for a single system for shop floor staff, loss prevention teams and police forces.

“The Facewatch Crime Management Platform combines world-class algorithm accuracy with an easy-to-use reporting system, enabling retailers to record incidents, analyse data and generate evidence-led reports. Retailers have told us they want one trusted platform that supports shop floor colleagues, loss prevention teams and the police, and that’s what we’re building. To support the wider community and government fight against retail crime, the capability to alert police instantly when serious offenders trigger a live facial recognition match will take evidence-backed crime reporting to the next level,” Fisher said.

He said the system was intended to address repeat offending, which he described as a major driver of theft and violence in stores.

“The majority of retail crime is carried out by a minority of prolific repeat offenders, an increasing number of whom are using weapons to threaten shop workers. We’re calling time on prolific repeat offending with a unique technical development that will warn police within an average of four seconds the moment the worst offenders are matched and flagged on our network,” Fisher said.

Data Control

A central part of Facewatch’s pitch to retailers is its role as data controller across its network. The company said this structure allows it to take responsibility for processing personal and special category biometric data, rather than leaving those obligations with individual retail customers.

The arrangement also allows the business to share alerts across its retailer network when it judges that sharing to be proportionate. Facewatch argued that aggregated intelligence extends the system’s reach because offenders identified at one store can trigger warnings elsewhere in the network.

Fisher used the launch to warn retailers against taking direct responsibility for biometric data processing without fully assessing the legal and operational implications.

“Retailers should carefully assess the decision and risk of processing special category biometric data. The decision to do so means taking on serious legal liability, losing the benefit and protection of aggregated data intelligence, and managing complex data rights and obligations in-house. A software vendor may tell you these things aren’t important, but it’s not them that will have to deal with the fallout,” Fisher said.

He added that retailers acting as their own data controllers would receive fewer alerts than those connected to Facewatch’s wider network.

“Retailers who take on the role of data controller are significantly disadvantaged by missing out on more than half of all alerts generated as a result of incidents in other stores,” Fisher said.

Facewatch said it now works with more than 125 retailers operating thousands of stores in the UK. Its clients include national chains and independent businesses such as Budgens, Frasers Group, Flannels, Home Bargains, Sainsbury’s and Sports Direct, as well as garden centres and charity shops.

It also said it has formal data-sharing arrangements with police forces when supporting investigations. The new platform will sit within the company’s broader governance structure, which includes ISO/IEC 42001 certification for its artificial intelligence management system.