UK firms are spending more on AI than ever before, but still think data is holding them back

SAP report says AI spend could rise 45% between 2026 and 2028, ROI up by an estimated 39%

Half of businesses worry agentic AI is being deployed quicker than governance

Poor data quality is holding them back, 67% believe in integrated data systems as a fix

The average UK business now spends £20.6 million on AI per year according to new SAP data, marking a substantial 27% year-over-year increase compared with 2025 (£16.2 million).

And this is showing no signs…