UK CEOs credit AI for productivity gains but struggle to measure returns

More than half (50%) of UK CEOs say artificial intelligence was one of the three biggest contributors to productivity improvements at their businesses over the past year, according to a new EY report. They ranked it ahead of redesigning and simplifying business processes (40%) and reselling workers (38%), as described in the source.

Yet many leaders are unsure how AI is helping. Only 14% of UK CEOs said they have full, real-time visibility into AI costs. One in three (32%) said they cannot properly assess AI’s return on investment (ROI), making it difficult to determine whether its effects are delivering financial value.

Silvia Rindone, UK&I Managing Partner, said CEOs want clear evidence that AI investment is improving productivity and creating measurable business value. The report also identifies barriers to adoption: legacy systems (34%) and organizational complexity (29%).

Skills shortages remain a concern. Three in four (74%) UK CEOs expect those gaps to worsen over the next three years, according to the report. EY AI & Data Leader Matthew Ringelheim said realizing value depends on rigorous analysis, clear strategic choices and disciplined execution.