How it looks for an entrepreneur and an investor
An entrepreneur who counts every hour and every pound sees artificial intelligence (AI) not as an abstract technology but as concrete changes in how the company operates. Half of the leaders of British companies named AI as one of the three biggest factors increasing their business productivity over the past year, and this is noticeably changing approaches to resource planning.
An investor and a currency buyer are interested not only in growth prospects but also in cost transparency. Only 14% of executives have full visibility of AI costs in real time, so a significant share of decisions is taken with incomplete information reports TechRadar.
Why it’s hard to measure the return on investment from AI
Many companies face difficulties in directly measuring outcomes. According to an EY study, 32% of British executives cannot properly assess the return on investment (ROI) in artificial intelligence, which makes it harder to determine whether spending is delivering real financial value.
At the same time, AI has overtaken traditional methods of boosting efficiency. Forty percent of respondents cited reworking and simplifying business processes as a key factor, and 38% pointed to upskilling employees. Silvia Rindone, EY’s managing partner for the United Kingdom and Ireland, says businesses are seeking clear evidence that such investments deliver higher productivity and measurable commercial value.
Technical limitations and skills shortages are holding back deployment
Inside companies this appears as several simultaneous challenges. Outdated systems were named a significant barrier by 34% of respondents, while 29% pointed to organisational complexity. When infrastructure is not ready, even obvious benefits from AI are hard to realise in practice.
Another major concern is talent. Seventy-four percent of executives in Britain expect the skills shortage to worsen over the next three years. Matthew Ringelheim, head of AI and data at EY in the United Kingdom and Ireland, noted that realising value from AI depends on rigorous analysis, clear strategic decisions and disciplined execution.
