SAP: UK firms spend £20.6M a year on AI, but data quality holds them back

The average UK business now spends £20.6 million a year on AI, up 27% from 2025, according to SAP. Spending is expected to rise another 45% by 2028 to nearly £30 million, with ROI climbing from 17% to 39%. Yet 71% cite poor data quality as a barrier, and 49% of agentic AI users worry deployments outpace governance.

• Average UK AI spend hits £20.6M a year, up 27% from 2025
• SAP expects another 45% rise by 2028 and ROI of 39%
• 71% of firms cite poor data quality as the main barrier
• 49% of agentic AI users say deployment outpaces governance