Expleo’s AI Pulse sentiment tracker reveals a positive outlook among UK business leaders towards AI in August with an overall score of 73, indicating high confidence in the benefits of AI programmes.
The Expleo AI Pulse, commissioned by the global engineering, technology and consultancy services provider, gauges sentiment towards the use of AI in business, ranging from 0 (very worried) to 100 (very confident).
The index captures levels of worry, excitement, trust and confidence in AI-led technology, tracing shifts over time and offering business leaders unique insights into collective attitudes towards AI to help inform decision-making.
In August, more than 200 respondents took part in the first Expleo AI Pulse, with the sentiment score hitting a positive 73 for UK. More than half of those surveyed were excited about the opportunities AI brings to their organisation (52%), eight out of 10 were confident in their company’s ability to successfully use AI (80%), with similar numbers trusting that AI will be used ethically (84%).
When asked whether they worried about how AI might transform their business, opinion was somewhat divided, with just over a third confirming they held some fears (36%), while four in ten said they didn’t have any worries at all (44%).
Jeff Hoyle, EVP and MD UK & NA, Expleo, said: “August’s largely positive picture suggests that many organisations are excitedly racing towards the promise of AI and focused on realising greater productivity, more precise decision-making and enhanced client experience.
“On the one hand, while this positivity is great for UK innovation and tech adoption, there is a watch-out. We’re also seeing some organisations start to report challenges around scaling to enterprise level, citing concerns around integration with legacy systems, budget constraints and lack of internal expertise affecting their ability to get a return on their investment.”
Following the launch of DeepSeek and the data security risks it exposed, respondents were also asked about their views on AI in cybersecurity; and opinion was deeply divided, with 56% saying it gives them cause for concern, and 42% having no worries at all.
Hoyle added: “Discord around AI’s impact on cybersecurity may reflect the double-edged nature of the technology, which can be used for good to anticipate and prevent cyber-attacks before they happen, or exploited by bad actors who use AI to circumvent security measures.
“Like everything related to AI, it’s incredibly fast-moving and is only set to become more complex as technology becomes ever more sophisticated. We’ll be watching closely, tracking those changes month-by-month through the AI Pulse.”
