Salesforce: How the UK Has Emerged to Lead in AI Readiness
This evolution comes as nations worldwide strive to establish leadership in AI development, with implications for economic growth, national security and technological sovereignty.
Highlighting the UK, Salesforce has released its UK AI Readiness Index, revealing that the UK is well-positioned to become a global leader in the third wave of AI innovation, particularly in the realm of agentic AI.
Salesforce's analysis examines readiness across multiple dimensions, from governmental initiatives to business adoption rates, providing a holistic view of the UK's AI ecosystem.
This approach is crucial, as success in the AI era requires more than just technological capability.
The study focuses on agentic AI – systems capable of autonomous action and decision-making – where the UK shows promising potential.
The index reveals that the UK's government and business readiness scores are higher than respective G7 averages.
Minister for AI and Digital Government, Feryal Clark, says: "These findings are further proof the UK is in prime position to take advantage of AI and highlight our strength in spurring innovation, investment and collaboration across the public and private sector."
UK's AI readiness surpasses G7 average
Salesforce indicates that the UK's performance in AI adoption surpasses the average of G7 nations.
The report assesses the UK's preparedness for AI adoption and innovation across three key areas: overall readiness, government readiness and business readiness. With an overall readiness score of 65.5, compared to the G7 average of 61.2, the UK demonstrates a significant advantage over other advanced economies.
Zahra Bahrololoumi CBE, UKI CEO of Salesforce, emphasises the transformative potential of agentic AI: "Agentic AI is revolutionising enterprise software by enabling humans and agents to collaborate seamlessly and drive customer success.
“The UK AI Readiness Index positively highlights that the UK has both the vision and infrastructure to be a powerhouse globally in AI and lead the current third wave of agentic AI.”
Government initiatives and business adoption
The UK government's commitment to AI development is evident in its initiatives and regulatory approach.
The AI Safety Summit held at Bletchley Park and proposed risk-based AI legislation underscore the UK's global leadership in addressing critical issues such as transparency, privacy and security.
On the business front, UK industries are performing well in AI adoption, with a readiness score of 52, compared to the G7 average of 47.8.
This adoption is supported by an increasing prioritisation of AI among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Adam Evans, EVP & GM of Salesforce AI Platform, predicts that by 2025, “autonomous agents will evolve into business-aware intelligence”, Salesforce says, that are capable of understanding industry-specific contexts and carrying out strategic tasks.
To maintain its leadership position, the report suggests that the UK should focus on developing a collaborative ecosystem, creating an adaptive regulatory framework, supporting SMEs in AI adoption and investing in innovation and digital skills.
Feryal Clark, Minister for AI and Digital Government, commented on the findings: "These findings are further proof the UK is in prime position to take advantage of AI and highlight our strength in spurring innovation, investment and collaboration across the public and private sector".
Businesses realising benefits of AI agents
Several UK businesses are already experiencing the productivity benefits of AI agents through Salesforce's Agentforce platform.
Companies such as Capita, Heathrow Airport and Bionic, the UK-based comparison service for SMEs' business essentials, have reported significant improvements in their operations and customer service capabilities.
Capita, a business process outsourcing and professional services company, aims to transform its recruitment process using Agentforce.
Capita
Adolfo Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer of Capita, explains: "With autonomous agents providing 24/7 support, our goal is to enable candidates to complete the entire recruitment journey within days as opposed to what has historically taken weeks.”
Heathrow
Peter Burns, Marketing and Digital Director at Heathrow, notes that Salesforce has helped increase Heathrow’s digital revenue by over 30%.
He says: “As Europe’s busiest airport, we’re committed to providing extraordinary service to the over 80 million passengers who pass through our Terminals each year. We’re excited about Salesforce’s new AI features, which will help us enhance the travel experience even further and keep Heathrow at the cutting edge.”
Bionic
Furthermore, Bionic is also reaping the benefits of autonomous agents.
James Lomas, Chief Technology Officer, Bionic says: “We’re on a mission to make life radically easier for Britain’s small businesses by combining smart technology with expert human service.
“With Agentic AI, we’re streamlining tasks like meter readings and switch tracking to deliver 24/7 support. This innovation empowers our 200,000 SME customers to save time and hassle so they can focus on growing their business.”
Explore the latest edition of Technology Magazine and be part of the conversation at our global conference series, Tech & AI LIVE.
Discover all our upcoming events and secure your tickets today.
Technology Magazine is a BizClik brand
