OpenAI says AI tools are paying dividends for small businesses, but uptake is sluggish in several UK regions

Small businesses in the UK are embracing AI and unlocking significant benefits – or at least some of them are.

Almost all SMBs in London (93%) now use AI tools in daily operations, according to a survey from OpenAI, while across the country the figure stands at eight-in-ten.

The company said the study shows a strong appetite for AI, but uptake on a region-by-region basis is still a work in progress. Just over one-quarter (26%) of small businesses in Yorkshire and Humber said they don’t use the technology at all.

Similar figures were recorded among SMBs in the South West (28%) while around one-quarter (24%) of firms in Scotland don’t use AI.

There's variation across business sectors too, with three-in-ten SMBs in the hospitality and leisure sector saying they don’t use AI at all, compared with just 5% in the tech industry.

SMBs are missing out on AI gains

According to OpenAI, those that do use AI are saving more than 5.2 hours each week. That time, according to 32% of respondents, is being redirected toward creative thinking.

Around 30% of respondents also said these time savings are enabling them to focus on strategic planning, with the same number helping to improve products and services.

“UK SMEs are already saving over half a day a week thanks to AI, but those benefits aren’t evenly shared," said said Sanj Bhayro, managing director for EMEA sales at OpenAI.

"Gaps are emerging across regions, business size, and how deeply firms are able to use AI in practice."

Getting to grips with AI

Competency is a lingering concern for many small businesses, OpenAI found. For example, four-in-five said it matters that their teams are comfortable using the technology.

Common uses of AI tools at SMBs included research and summarization, email and business communications curation, and general brainstorming.

ChatGPT was the most popular tool, used by 64%, ahead of Gemini and Copilot (42% each) and Claude (11%).

AI adoption is growing

The survey from OpenAI comes hot on the heels of research from the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Atos, which found more than half (54%) of UK firms are actively using AI in operations.

This marks a significant increase compared to last year, when just 35% said they were using the technology. Notably, those using AI reported strong improvements in net productivity.

“More and more firms across the UK are putting AI to work, and it’s great to see businesses embracing the opportunities this technology can create," said AI minister Kanishka Narayan.

“We already have one of the world’s strongest AI ecosystems, and the next step is making sure companies of every size feel confident using it day‑to‑day."

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