AI is helping UK SME workers save 5.2 hours a week, but some businesses are really struggling to keep up

A new report from OpenAI highlights a significant productivity boost for UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have adopted AI tools like ChatGPT. The data shows that SME decision-makers using AI are saving an average of 5.2 hours per week—the equivalent of more than half a working day. These time savings are being reinvested into creative thinking, strategic planning, and product improvement, with additional benefits including reduced errors and lower operational costs.

However, the report uncovers a stark and growing digital divide. While adoption is high in London (93%), nearly one in five (19%) UK SMEs are not using AI at all. This non-adoption is most pronounced among the smallest businesses, with 37% of sole traders and 25% of micro-businesses classified as non-users. Significant gaps also exist regionally, with adoption around 75% in areas like Yorkshire and Scotland, and demographically, with 40% of decision-makers aged 55+ not using AI compared to just 8% of those aged 18-34.

OpenAI, in collaboration with Booking.com and Enterprise Nation, argues that exposure and hands-on experimentation are critical to closing this gap. Their findings indicate that practical training, demos, and peer-learning opportunities can drive usage. The current focus of such initiatives in London, where adoption is already highest, suggests a need for a broader national rollout to ensure smaller and regional businesses are not left behind in the AI productivity revolution.