A new white paper published following the Accelerating AI Conference in Milton Keynes has found that while interest in artificial intelligence is growing rapidly, most businesses remain at an early stage of adoption.

The report, From Curiosity to Capability: The State of AI Adoption Among SMEs Across the South Midlands, brings together survey data, live polling and insights from speakers and delegates who attended the Accelerating AI Conference at The Ridgeway Centre on 9 June.

The findings suggest that AI awareness is high across the region’s business community, but progress beyond experimentation remains limited. According to the report, 63% of pre-event survey respondents described their organisation as either “just exploring” or in “early experimentation” when it comes to AI, while only a small minority considered themselves mature users.

One of the report’s most significant findings is what it describes as an “ownership gap”. While more than four in five respondents said someone within their organisation was at least partly responsible for AI or automation, only 7.4% reported having dedicated time or projects allocated to AI learning and implementation.

The report argues that many organisations have started using AI tools, but far fewer have changed the way work is organised or delivered.

Matthew Rigby-White, co-founder of Accelerating AI and founder of Qoob, said: “Many businesses think they’ve dealt with AI because they’ve bought some licences and made somebody responsible for it.

“But that isn’t the same as changing how a business works.

“The organisations seeing the biggest gains are looking at how work flows through the business, where time is being wasted and which decisions can be improved. They’re changing processes, not just adding new tools.

“The gap between businesses doing that and businesses that aren’t is growing.”

The findings are particularly important because they come from people already interested enough in AI to attend a conference dedicated to the subject. Yet nearly two-thirds still described their organisations as being in the early stages of adoption.

Throughout the conference, speakers returned to a similar theme: the challenge is no longer getting access to AI tools. It is working out where they genuinely save time, improve customer service, reduce repetitive work or help people make better decisions.

The report suggests businesses are most likely to see results when they start with a business problem rather than a piece of technology. Several speakers warned that AI can speed up poor processes just as easily as good ones.

It also highlights the opportunity for Milton Keynes and the wider region to become known for practical AI use, bringing together businesses, universities, local authorities and technology firms to share knowledge and experience.

Accelerating AI organisers say they hope the report becomes the first in a series tracking how businesses are using AI, where progress is being made and where further support is needed.

The next Accelerating AI Conference will take place on 13 October 2026 as part of Milton Keynes Tech Week.

The full white paper is available to download at:

https://acceleratingai.co.uk/resources

Image: Matthew Rigby-White, co-founder of Accelerating AI and founder of Qoob, speaking at the Accelerating AI Conference at The Ridgeway Centre in Milton Keynes.