UK firms are now putting executives on the hook for AI decisions
Key Points
- 64% of UK firms hold the C-suite accountable for AI decisions, versus 54% globally.
- 80% of UK organisations are changing their cybersecurity operations because of AI.
- 35% of UK firms report significant employee use of AI agents, up from 30%.
- 69% of UK firms consider model sovereignty in AI decisions.
- Only 13% consistently weigh AI's value against its cost.
KPMG’s latest Global AI Pulse survey found 64% of UK organisations hold the C-suite accountable for AI decisions.
That compares with 54% of organisations globally, putting UK firms well ahead of the global average.
KPMG published the quarterly survey on 25 September, drawing on C-suite and senior business leaders worldwide, including 100 in the UK.
Among UK firms, 39% have a named executive responsible for decisions informed by AI. A further 25% hand that responsibility to the CEO or executive committee.
More than half of organisations globally (55%) now run formal infrastructure for managing AI. That share stood at 31% among organisations still experimenting with AI, 58% among those scaling it, and 86% among those already seeing a return on their investment.
Employee use of AI agents is also growing, with 35% of UK organisations reporting significant adoption, up from 30% in the first quarter.
“Deploying AI is only the first step. The greater challenge is creating the leadership, governance and organisational alignment needed to support it as adoption expands,” said Paul Henninger, partner and head of technology and data at KPMG in the UK.
“Organisations that embed AI into their decision-making structures will be better placed to manage risk, demonstrate value and deliver sustainable performance,” Henninger said.
Cybersecurity moves up the list
Eight in ten UK organisations (80%) are changing their cybersecurity operations and tightening policies, processes and controls as AI moves deeper into their businesses.
Among organisations already seeing a return on AI, 71% list cyber and data security among their AI budget priorities. Only 36% of organisations still experimenting with AI do the same.
KPMG also found that 69% of UK firms consider model sovereignty when making decisions about AI. Model sovereignty covers where AI models, data and intellectual property are hosted, controlled and governed.
Some 24% of UK firms have an organisation-wide model sovereignty strategy that they review regularly. That figure rises to 53% among organisations seeing a return on their AI investment.
Few firms know whether AI pays off
Most businesses in the survey check what AI costs, with 67% reviewing costs at the approval stage and 58% monitoring them once systems go live.
Only 13% consistently weigh the value AI delivers against its cost across the whole organisation. That share climbs to 48% among organisations already seeing a return on AI.
“Organisations generating the strongest returns from AI have moved beyond experimentation and treat it as an organisation-wide priority,” said Henninger.
“The next source of advantage will come not from adoption alone, but from how effectively organisations manage AI,” he added.
