Salesforce has announced the findings of the UK AI Readiness Index, showing the country is well positioned to lead the next wave of AI innovation, also known as agent AI.
The report shows that not only is the UK ahead of G7 countries in terms of AI adoption, but it is also ripe for improvement, including supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, fostering cross-sector partnerships and investing in talent development. The field is also emphasized.
Zahra Bahrololoumi CBE, UKI CEO at Salesforce, commented: “Agentic AI is revolutionizing enterprise software by enabling humans and agents to work seamlessly together to drive customer success.
“The UK AI Readiness Index clearly highlights that the UK has both the vision and infrastructure to become a global powerhouse in AI and lead the current third wave of agent AI.”
UK AI rollout sets stage for agent revolution
The Index details how both the UK public and private sectors have embraced the transformative potential of AI. With a readiness score of 65.5, above the G7 average of 61.2, the UK is establishing itself as a hub for large-scale AI projects, with a strong innovation culture and pragmatic regulatory approach.
Governments have played a role in maintaining a stable and secure environment for technology investment. Initiatives such as the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park and the risk-oriented AI Bill demonstrate UK leadership on important AI issues such as transparency and privacy.
Business readiness is equally impressive, with UK industry scoring 52, well above the G7 average of 47.8. UK SMEs are increasingly prioritizing AI adoption, further strengthening the UK’s position in the international AI space.
Adam Evans, EVP and GM of the Salesforce AI Platform, is optimistic about the evolution of agent AI. By 2025, Evans predicts, these agents will be business-aware and able to deftly navigate industry-specific challenges to perform meaningful tasks and decisions.
Investments that fuel AI growth
Salesforce will inject $4 billion into the UK’s AI ecosystem over the next five years. Since establishing its UK AI Center in London, Salesforce says it has engaged more than 3,000 stakeholders in AI training and workshops.
Key investment focuses include building a regulatory bridge between the EU’s rules-based approach and the more relaxed US approach, and ensuring small and medium-sized businesses have the resources to integrate AI. Included. There is also a focus on improving digital skills and centralizing training to support the AI workforce of the future.
Ferial Clarke, Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government, said: “These findings are further evidence that the UK is well placed to harness AI, and we are calling for innovation, investment and collaboration across the public and private sectors. “It highlights the UK’s strength in promoting this.”
“There is a global race for AI and plans for how the UK can harness this technology to accelerate adoption across the economy, accelerate growth and build an AI sector that can scale and compete on the world stage. We are planning to set up a
Antony Walker, deputy CEO of techUK, said: “To build on this progress, government and industry need to work together to drive innovation, support small and medium-sized enterprises, invest in skills and build flexibility. We need to ensure good regulation and consolidate the UK’s leadership in the global AI economy.”
Agentic AI boosts UK business productivity
Capita, Secret Escapes, Heathrow, and Bionic are among the organizations adopting Salesforce’s Agentforce to improve productivity.
Adolfo Hernandez, CEO of Capita, said: “We want to transform the Capita recruitment process into a fast, seamless, and autonomous experience that benefits candidates, employees, and clients.
“With autonomous agents providing 24/7 support, our goal is to enable candidates to complete the entire recruitment process within days, instead of weeks.
Secret Escapes, a curator of luxury travel deals, believes autonomous agents are essential to personalizing services for its 60 million European members.
Kate Donaghy, Head of Business Technology at Secret Escapes, added: “Agentforce uses unified data to automate routine tasks such as processing cancellations, updating reservation information, and even answering common travel questions about things like baggage and flight information, allowing customer service agents to , allowing us to better serve our members by addressing more complex and last-minute travel needs.”
The UK’s AI readiness is a testament to the synergy between government, business and academia. If the UK is to maintain its leadership, we must continue to focus on collaboration, skills development and innovation.
(Photo by Matthew Wiebe)
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