Business & Technology
UK firms race ahead on AI, but controls lag behind
Writer has published research showing that many large organisations are adopting AI faster than they are putting controls in place. The survey points to governance gaps, data security concerns and weak oversight of autonomous AI systems.
The findings are based on a survey of 2,400 executives and employees in large enterprises, and suggest many of the UK’s biggest businesses could be exposed to risk as staff turn to unapproved AI tools and companies struggle to supervise newer autonomous systems.
Among the most striking findings, two-thirds of C-suite leaders said they believed their organisation had already suffered a data leak or security breach caused by an employee using an unapproved AI tool. Only a third of executives were certain no such breach had taken place.
Employee responses pointed to widespread use of public or prohibited tools. One in three said they had entered proprietary, confidential or sensitive company information into a public AI tool, while 16% had used AI products explicitly banned by their employer.
Those behaviours appear to be linked to frustration with approved systems and pressure to deliver work quickly. Employees who used banned tools most often said they would use whatever was needed to get their work done. Others said approved tools were too poor to use or that enforcement was weak.
Executives also acknowledged limited oversight. More than a third said they did not have full visibility or control over which AI tools employees were actually using inside their organisations.
Reporting fears
The research also highlighted tension between staff and management over harmful AI outputs. More than a quarter of employees said they had seen an AI tool at work produce a result that was dangerously wrong, unethical or biased.
Yet three in ten said they did not feel safe reporting dangerous or unethical AI behaviour to their employer because they feared retaliation. That contrasts sharply with senior leaders’ views: 90% of executives believed employees were safe to speak up.
The gap suggests companies face not only technical and compliance risks, but also cultural problems as AI tools become more embedded in day-to-day operations. Staff may be reluctant to challenge systems or report problems if they think doing so could be seen as resistance to adoption.
Agent oversight
Writer’s survey placed particular emphasis on autonomous AI agents, which are starting to move from pilot projects into regular business use. Here too, the results showed a lack of confidence in internal controls.
More than a third of executives said they were not confident they could shut down an autonomous AI agent if it began causing financial or reputational harm. A similar share said their organisation still lacked a formal, documented plan for supervising AI agents.
Leaders identified the main governance concerns around these systems as security and data protection, employee training, transparency over how agents operate and explainability. Only a quarter ranked ethical alignment among their top concerns, despite wider concern in the survey about problematic AI outputs.
The report also suggested some AI strategies are being shaped as much by image as by internal readiness. Three-quarters of executives said their company’s AI strategy was driven more by public signalling than by practical internal direction.
That points to pressure on senior management to show progress on AI even when policies, oversight structures and employee safeguards remain incomplete. It also helps explain why some organisations may be seeing a rise in so-called shadow AI, where staff use tools outside approved channels to meet performance demands.
The commercial and personal stakes appear high. Six in ten leaders said an agent-driven error causing serious damage would cost a senior executive their job. Respondents most commonly identified the chief executive officer, chief information officer or chief technology officer as most likely to be affected.
The survey comes as companies face growing scrutiny over how they deploy generative AI and autonomous systems in customer service, internal operations and knowledge work. While many employers are pressing ahead with rollout, the data suggests governance has not kept pace with the technology’s spread across large organisations.
The findings indicate that oversight of AI use now extends beyond procurement and policy into day-to-day workforce behaviour, internal reporting culture and companies’ ability to intervene when automated systems go wrong.
Two numbers capture the tension most clearly: 67% of C-suite leaders believe their organisation has already suffered an AI-related data leak or breach through unapproved tools, and 35% of executives said they were not confident they could pull the plug on an autonomous agent causing financial or reputational damage.
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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