Alibaba.com survey shows UK small firms’ AI use lags confidence, widening productivity gap
BABA•Time savings seen as the biggest potential payoff
Potential payoff centered on time savings, with 60% citing work-life balance; 50% expected more time for customer acquisition.
Most AI use is concentrated in content and marketing
Among AI users, 74% focused on content and marketing; only 5% applied AI to supply chain management.
Interest in agentic AI outpaced awareness, with 68% wanting to learn more; 5% reported regular use.
Alibaba survey finds confidence outpacing AI use among UK small firms
Alibaba published UK research flagging an AI productivity gap, with 70% of small-business owners confident using generative AI.
Regular use lagged at 48%, suggesting limited translation of AI adoption into measurable productivity gains.
