Microsoft UK survey: bosses far more upbeat on AI than staff
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Microsoft has published research on attitudes to artificial intelligence among UK business leaders and their employees, showing a wide gap between the two groups. The survey was conducted by Censuswide among 5,000 UK employees and 1,000 senior business decision-makers between 2 and 12 October 2026. The findings were published on 20 October, the day before Microsoft's Frontier Tour event in London.
Confidence gap on the UK's AI prospects
Among senior decision-makers, 84% said they are confident the UK can become a world-leading AI economy within five years. Among employees, 41% shared that view. Around nine in ten leaders said their organisation has a clear AI strategy. Asked about the effect of AI on UK society over the next five years, 49% of employees expected it to be positive, compared with 90% of business leaders.
Employees who use AI at work reported mixed experiences. A total of 35% said AI had reduced their own job security, and 57% said it would reduce opportunities for young people. At the same time, 71% said AI had a positive impact on their work or career, and 69% said it had improved the quality of their work.
Calls for government action and adoption figures
Both groups want more public support: 58% of employees and 62% of business leaders said the government should do more to help the UK benefit from AI, with skills and training among the top three priorities for each group. Microsoft's wider AI diffusion data puts UK generative AI usage at 43.7% in the second quarter of 2026, second in the G7 and eighth globally, with regional usage ranging from 57.4% in the West of England to 34.1% in the Highlands and Islands.
Microsoft cited its commitment of $30 billion (£23 billion) of UK investment between 2025 and 2028. Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK and Ireland, said: "The UK has a chance to lead, not just in AI adoption, but in AI safety."