UK’s AI ROI Crisis: How the Adoption Gap Risks Undermining Billions in Investment
Despite record AI spending, nearly half of UK office workers aren’t using it – and 77% of those who do are using AI tools that have not been sanctioned by their employer.
With the Government’s £400 billion target for AI-driven economic growth by 2030 looming overhead. Expectations are sky-high for ROI from AI, but new WalkMe research shows what is preventing employees from actually using the AI tools their employer gives them.
The research shows the workforce has split into two core factions putting the UK’s AI ambitions at risk:
- Secret AI users – Shadow AI is rife across UK businesses, as 77% of people who DO use AI at work are doing so secretly. The majority of them are getting in trouble for doing so, but they’re driven to shadow AI by the shortcomings of the AI tools given to them at work. 66% of office workers find the AI they’re given is not making them faster, let alone giving them any more free time.
- AI sceptics – Surprisingly, almost half (42%) of employees still don’t use AI at work – citing lack of skills and training as key blockers. Women (48% don’t use AI at work) are more likely to be AI sceptics than men (37% don’t use AI at work).
The one thing they have in common? Not using the expensive AI tools paid for by their employers.
So how can organizations get people to use their expensive AI investments and get on track to ROI realization?
Organisations must make AI easy to use and beneficial for everyone. Getting people to use AI at work is a change management challenge and needs to be treated as such. Ultimately, it is this behavioral change that will unlock the full return on these hefty AI investments.
Skills Myths Are Stifling Adoption
The research highlights that misconceptions about AI are creating unnecessary barriers:
- Misconceptions around skill ceilings risk “gatekeeping” AI: 61% of office workers – and 68% of those who use AI at work – think people need “advanced” IT skills to use AI effectively and safely, while 30% think it should be limited to IT professionals. Employees don’t think it’s possible to just use AI without the need to upskill themselves, and they don’t seem to feel that they are provided with the opportunity to do so.
- Training issues hold users back: At least 50% of AI users reported problems with training – including having to teach themselves how to use AI on their own because the right training doesn’t exist (22%) and not knowing what training to ask for to expand their horizons (21%).
Perception gap: People who use AI at work view it positively – saying it made them look more productive (43%), smart (40%) and tech savvy (34%). Conversely, AI sceptics are more likely to take a negative view: saying it makes users look incapable of doing the job themselves (18%), lazy (17%) or replaceable (17%).
The Human Factor in ROI
“The Government says AI could add £400 billion to the UK economy by 2030 by enhancing innovation and productivity in the workplace. But simply investing in and deploying AI is not enough. Many businesses are criminally overlooking the human factor,” said Vivek Behl, VP Strategy at WalkMe.
“Our research shows that on both sides of the pond, businesses are not giving employees AI that is usable and trustworthy. In turn, they’re wasting valuable time policing shadow AI, and having to deal with a workplace that operates at two different speeds. The AI skeptics are dragging their feet and holding back adoption, meaning the business will not unlock expected ROI from the millions being invested in AI, while the secret users will risk compliance breaches. Without clear guidance on how to use AI at work specific to what employees are trying to achieve, productivity and quality will suffer.”
Behl’s point underscores a critical truth: AI ROI isn’t being held back by technology limits, but by a lack of human adoption. Without structured guidance, governance, and enablement, AI investments cannot scale to impact.
The Path to ROI: Make AI Easy, Safe, and Irresistible
The research highlights the adoption frustrations employees are coming up against. Two thirds (66%) of people who use AI at work said it doesn’t give them help and advice exactly when they need it. The same number said AI doesn’t help them work faster or give them more free time.
To overcome these perceived barriers, businesses need to give just-in-time guidance and automation right when and where employees need it most. AI assistance must have the contextual understanding to provide value without an employee having to break their flow of work. AI can make employees more efficient and help them produce better output, but it has to be embedded into their daily workflows taking the onus of finding when and where to use AI away from the individual. The good news is that many non-users are ready to be convinced. Businesses that do this will essentially end up pushing at an open door: almost half (49%) of people who don’t use AI at work admitted there was nothing holding them back from doing so. This admission is huge and proves that using AI simply wasn’t presented to them in an easy enough way with clear understandable benefits. With the right guidance, adoption can surge quickly.
Make AI Work for People
“There’s nothing stopping these people from using AI – but in some businesses there’s nothing encouraging them, either,” added Vivek Behl.
“This means digital adoption needs to be a top priority. Businesses need to give their employees the contextual, timely guidance that will enable them to harness the power of AI at work. Until they take this step, businesses will fall further behind in the AI revolution, leaving employees’ long-term career prospects limited.”
WalkMe helps organisations bridge this adoption gap by delivering guidance, automation, and insights directly in the flow of work, making AI intuitive, compliant, and scalable.
* Methodology:
This report is based on a survey of 1,210 UK office workers conducted by Opinium on behalf of WalkMe between 12th September and 16th September 2025.