Business & Technology
UK chief executives make AI priority but delay plans
Dataiku has published research showing that UK chief executives are making artificial intelligence a top priority while delaying some initiatives. The survey found UK leaders were the most AI-focused of the regions studied.
The findings are based on a Harris Poll survey of 900 chief executive officers in the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, the UAE, Japan, South Korea and Singapore. Respondents worked at large companies with annual revenue above USD $500 million, or the regional equivalent.
Among UK respondents, 81% said AI strategy was a top or high priority, compared with 73% globally. At the same time, 77% said they were more concerned about over-investing in AI than under-investing, versus 65% globally.
That tension points to a widening gap between boardroom ambition and execution. Leaders continue to rank AI near the top of the corporate agenda, but are weighing spending more carefully as questions about returns and oversight grow.
Regulation emerged as a key factor in that caution. More than half of UK chief executive officers, 51%, said they had delayed AI initiatives because of regulatory uncertainty, up from 26% a year earlier.
The increase suggests a sharper shift in sentiment in Britain than in many other markets covered by the study. It also shows that concern about AI rules is moving from a background issue to a direct influence on investment decisions.
Even so, confidence remains high. Some 89% of UK chief executive officers described themselves as “extremely confident” in their AI strategy, above the overall figure of 81%.
The data presents a mixed picture of executive thinking. British business leaders appear convinced of AI’s importance, but less certain about the pace and conditions under which they should expand its use.
Boardroom role
Chief executive involvement in AI decisions also remains strong. More than two-thirds of UK respondents, 71%, said they were actively involved in AI-related decisions at their companies.
That level of participation suggests AI governance remains close to the top of the organisation rather than being left solely to technology teams. It also places more direct accountability on senior leaders as projects move from experimentation to broader deployment.
Dataiku presented the results as evidence that access to AI tools is no longer the main issue for large companies. The harder task is turning AI investment into dependable business use while maintaining control over systems and decision-making.
Florian Douetteau addressed that challenge in a statement accompanying the findings. “Every enterprise now has access to powerful AI. The differentiator is whether they can turn that power into reliable business decisions,” said Florian Douetteau, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Dataiku.
“That is the cognitive dissonance happening in the C-suite right now: CEOs are staking their jobs on AI, but still questioning its outputs and struggling to control the systems they say they own. The companies that close that gap will be the ones building AI worth being accountable for. That is what separates a bet from a business,” he said.
Measured expansion
The UK figures stand out because they combine some of the strongest enthusiasm for AI with some of the clearest signs of restraint. British chief executive officers led the surveyed regions in the share ranking AI as a top priority, yet they also showed growing unease about committing too much capital before regulatory and commercial questions are settled.
For companies already under pressure to show returns on technology spending, that may lead to a more selective approach. Projects with clear business outcomes are likely to win backing more easily than broader or less defined AI programmes.
The survey focused on leaders of large companies, so the results reflect sentiment at the upper end of the corporate market rather than among smaller businesses. That matters because large organisations often have bigger budgets and more direct exposure to formal compliance requirements, making regulatory uncertainty a more immediate operational issue.
Across that group, the findings suggest AI is no longer treated simply as an experimental technology issue. It has become a board-level priority shaped by investment discipline, risk management and accountability.
For UK businesses, the combination of high confidence and rising hesitation may define the next phase of adoption. The clearest signal is that many leaders still believe in their strategy, even as 51% say they have already delayed AI initiatives because of regulatory uncertainty.
Jayden, 13 launched Jay’s Bakes from his home in Taunton Road in Bicester on Saturday, June 20.
His late nan, a keen baker herself, was the inspiration behind his passion, as well as time spent helping his uncle with his catering business.
Over the last 18 months he has honed his skills by preparing sweat treats every day after school.
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Determined to turn his hobby into something more, Jayden spent two and a half months researching requirements, gaining his Level 2 food hygiene certificate and officially registering his business, mostly without adult intervention.
After four days of preparation, the business officially launched.
Customers were treated to a wide selection of homemade goods, including M&M cookies, Kinder brownies, Biscoff cookies, Victoria sponge trays, lemon drizzle cups and viral ‘dot cakes’.
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His Kinder brownies proved particularly popular, and by the end of the day he had sold out of everything, taking £210.
Despite feeling “excited and a bit nervous” beforehand, Jayden said the opening was a success, with a strong turnout and positive feedback shared on social media.
His favourite moment came when he officially opened the shed by cutting the ribbon.
Supported by his mum, stepdad, grandparents and uncle, Jayden first began selling from a table in May before building and painting his now-signature blue cake shed.
He now plans to continue baking and selling regularly, bringing his creations to the local community.
Lidl has been given planning permission to build its ninth supermarket in Oxfordshire, despite concerns over flooding.
Aldi opened in Didcot in 2015 and has a supermarket at the Jubilee Way roundabout but shoppers in the town have had to wait over a decade for Lidl to follow.
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South Oxfordshire District Council has now backed plans by the German retailer for a new supermarket in Abingdon Road.
Former Didcot mayor Mocky Khan said: “This give the residents of Didcot more choice, especially when you consider the cost of living environment we have at the moment.
“The town is growing with more new homes being built, and with more growth it’s good to have a wide variety of supermarkets to fit all budgets,”
The plans for the new supermarket were first submitted in 2024.
Didcot Town Council previously objected to the scheme, on the grounds of a lack of flood risk mitigation measures, along with the county council who said there was “insufficient information”.
The town council noted there are “several flooding incidents in the area, especially when the Marsh Bridge water pumps fail”.
But in a report by planning officers granting permission to the supermarket, those issues have now been addressed by Lidl.
The officers said the proposals “largely accord” with the policies around planning, and more can be done to “break up” the car park with greenery.
Planning officers chose to let Lidl build the new supermarket subject to conditions.
They said in a report: “Balanced against this policy conflict is the fact that this is a previously developed site, which is currently in a dilapidated state.
“The proposals represent a significant improvement on the current underutilisation of the site and on its appearance.
“The National Planning Policy Framework and Local Plan set out significant support for the reuse of previously developed land.
“As stated in the applicant’s planning statement, there have been previous enquiries as to the redevelopment of the site that have not come to fruition.
“Given this, finding a viable use for the site is a clear benefit which I consider to be of substantial benefit.”
Thirty-four residents had objected to Lidl’s plans, highlighting concerns over extra traffic, there being no need for another supermarket in the town and there being more appropriate locations to build in their view.
Didcot already has an Aldi store just off Broadway and a Sainsbury’s, M&S Foodhall and Asda.
The nearest Lidl to the proposed site are in Lupton Road, Wallingford, and Marcham Road in Abingdon.
Three people wrote in to support the new Lidl, recognising the benefits of a discount food store and the further jobs it will create.
Lidl has said its proposals for a Didcot supermarket would deliver 40 full-time equivalent jobs as well as further employment during the construction phase.
No opening date was given by the retailer, while the developer is currently on site progressing with the enabling works.
A spokesman said: “We’ve seen demand for our affordable, high-quality products continue to rise in Oxfordshire, and we are committed to serving more communities in the area.
“Our new store will create around 40 new jobs and build on our continued growth.
“We’re excited to be a step closer to opening this store and thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.”
It also said the £12m investment would work with the 6,300 new homes allocated to be built, as per the local plan.
Dalcour Maclaren, a specialist in utilities and infrastructure, announced the news on June 22, following a detailed assessment of its operations, including governance, employee wellbeing, environmental impact, and social responsibility.
James Neil, CEO of Dalcour Maclaren, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Dalcour Maclaren.
“B Corp status gives us the official badge that recognises everything that matters most to us in our culture, our values, and how we make decisions for our people and our clients. We thrive on doing things differently at DM and B Corp absolutely endorses this.”
The certification means the company meets rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Dalcour Maclaren now joins more than 10,000 B Corps worldwide and over 2,600 in the UK, including well-known names such as The Guardian, Innocent Drinks, Patagonia, and The Big Issue.
Chris Turner, CEO of B Lab UK, said: “Welcoming Dalcour Maclaren to the B Corp community is hugely exciting. Its commitment to doing business differently will be an inspiration to others and will help spread the notion that success in business is as much about people and planet as it is profit.”
Dalcour Maclaren operates across the UK and Ireland, supporting major projects in energy, water, transport, and digital infrastructure. The company’s services include land, planning, environment, stakeholder engagement, and geospatial services.
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