The state of AI readiness in UK organisations: OneAdvanced’s 10th Annual Trends Report

techUK

“OneAdvanced’s Annual Trends Report offers a sharp and timely view of the technologies reshaping the UK economy, and its findings echo what we hear across our membership.”

— Julian David OBE, CEO, techUK

Persistent Systems

“As we mark a decade of the OneAdvanced Annual Trends Report, it’s clear that the software landscape is undergoing one of the most significant shifts in its history. AI has moved from experimental add-on to core architectural principle, reshaping how systems are built, how data flows, and how organisations deliver value.”

— Sandeep Kalra, CEO and Executive Director, Persistent Systems

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For the past ten years, OneAdvanced’s Annual Trends Report has been capturing the forces reshaping the world of work – from cloud adoption and cybercrime to remote work and digital skills. This year’s findings reveal a landscape moving faster than ever.

UK organisations are investing in technology at record speed, particularly in artificial intelligence. But they are struggling to turn that investment into real operational impact, widening a gap between ambition and execution.

Today marks the release of OneAdvanced’s 10th Annual Trends Report – our most comprehensive and consequential edition yet. Drawing on insights from more than 4,500 senior decision-makers across multiple industries, this report reflects how far organisations have come and offers a clear view of why many are still falling short.

A sneak peek inside the 10th Annual Trends Report

1. AI at the core

AI is no longer operating at the edges of business. It now sits at the centre of economic, political, and organisational decision-making and reshaping outcomes.

The report showcases:

• Geopolitics, where digital sovereignty and AI capability are strategic assets
• Regulation, as governments race to define accountability, transparency, and bias controls
• The environment, with AI powering modelling, carbon tracking, and resilient supply chains
• Culture and trust, amid the rise of deepfakes, synthetic media, and growing scepticism

Unpacking how these macro forces are converging and what they mean for technology buyers navigating risk, opportunity, and accountability in equal measure.

2. Innovation is racing ahead, but integration is not

Despite a decade of warnings, digital transformation continues to stall where it matters most: execution. The aggregated research says:

• Legacy systems, fragmented workflows, and a persistent digital skills divide continue to hold organisations back
• 56% of organisations find themselves as being in ‘automation purgatory’ – stuck between manual processes and fully integrated, AI-enabled operations

In short, innovation has outpaced integration. Tools are multiplying, but workflows remain disjointed, visibility is limited, and decision-making slows as complexity grows.

3. Overconfidence in AI maturity

AI is the number one investment priority for 2026. However, nearly half of organisations say AI touches less than a quarter of their day-to-day operations.

This disconnect creates a threatening illusion:

• 80% of organisations believe they are equal to or ahead of their competitors in AI adoption

The report shows a clear picture: either organisations are overestimating their AI maturity, or the entire market is behind, making “ahead” a relative term. In both cases, complacency threatens progress.

4. Human–machine collaboration is the real bottleneck

Ten years on, the digital skills divide continues. While AI investment accelerates:

• Skills gaps are still the second biggest operational challenge
• Training and development rank only 10th on priority lists

This imbalance is driving a workforce readiness crisis. Without equipping people to work confidently alongside AI, even the most advanced systems remain underutilised. Hence, the message is clear: AI is not the constraint; human readiness is.

5. Measuring digital value amidst rising cyber threats

Organisations are investing heavily in digital technologies, yet they continue to struggle with measuring and realising their full value. The challenge is not a lack of ambition, but a failure to execute and govern transformation effectively.

The report finds that:

• 70% plan to increase cybersecurity spend
• A 3x gap in perceived ROI between executives and managers

As AI, cloud, and automation scale, cyber resilience and accountability can no longer be treated as technical afterthoughts. Trust, security, and value realisation must sit at the heart of transformation.

What readers will gain from the report

OneAdvanced’s 10th Annual Trends Report is designed for leaders who want clarity. Readers will gain:

• A macro view of the forces shaping 2026, with AI as a force multiplier across every domain
• Clear benchmarks on automation, AI adoption, cloud maturity, and skills readiness
• Insight into where execution is breaking down and why
• Practical perspective on how to close gaps between ambition and reality, strategy and operations, humans and machines

Above all, the report offers a strong call to action: integration over acquisition, execution over ambition, and people working with platforms.

A decade in, and the work is far from done

Simon Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of OneAdvanced, explains:

“Ten years ago, our Annual Trends research found that British organisations expected their digital transformation to be largely complete by 2026. However, this is far from the case. While innovation and investment have raced ahead, integration lags and the failure to adequately prepare people to harness AI’s potential means that the promise of human–machine collaboration remains out of reach. If the UK wants to lead on the global stage, it has to drive better AI adoption at pace as a matter of urgency or be left behind.”