AI Daily Brief: 25 March 2026

25 March 2026

Today's digest is dominated by a single, uncomfortable truth: British Businesses know AI matters but most are doing almost nothing about it. Two separate studies paint a picture of a UK workforce woefully unprepared for the AI transition, even as the technology accelerates around them. Meanwhile, Anthropic is pushing hard into agentic AI, Meta is throwing billions at executive retention, and CFOs are quietly admitting that AI layoffs are coming - just not as dramatically as the headlines suggest.

92% of UK Businesses Falling Behind on AI Adoption

A new study from Cornwall-based Prince AI Training has analysed over 1,000 UK job listings and found that just 2.6% mention AI skills as a requirement. That is not a typo. Despite constant media coverage of AI transforming every industry, the overwhelming majority of British employers are not even asking candidates whether they can use the tools that are already built into the software they pay for.

The research focused on everyday business roles - not specialist tech positions - and found that AI capabilities like those embedded in Microsoft 365 Copilot, Google Workspace and CRM platforms are being almost entirely ignored in recruitment. The implication is stark: most UK businesses are paying for AI-enabled tools they are not using, and not hiring people who know how to use them.

Our take: This is exactly the gap Precise Impact exists to fill. When 92% of businesses are not even asking for AI skills, the opportunity for consultancies that can bridge that gap is enormous. The businesses that move now to upskill their teams will have a significant competitive advantage within 12 to 18 months.

UK and US Professional Firms Abandoning AI Projects Over Skills Shortages

General Assembly surveyed 258 senior leaders at director level and above across consulting, accounting and legal firms in the UK and US. The findings are sobering: 61% have abandoned at least one AI initiative in the past year because they lacked the necessary internal skills. Among consulting firms specifically, that figure rises to 73%.

The study also revealed an interesting tension in strategy. Seven in ten respondents said their AI efforts focus on improving efficiency in existing work rather than building AI-first products. Only 17% are moving towards a model where AI agents handle most of the work. Meanwhile, 79% say AI is already changing Pricing conversations with clients, with 42% reporting that clients are actively questioning their fees.

Our take: The pricing pressure point is the one to watch. When clients start asking "why am I paying you this much when AI could do it?", firms without a clear AI strategy become vulnerable. The smart play is not just adopting AI internally but developing AI-enhanced services that justify premium pricing. Firms that treat AI as a cost-cutting exercise will race to the bottom. Those that use it to deliver better outcomes will thrive.

YouGov Shares Hit Decade Low as AI Investment Squeezes Profits

UK-listed market research firm YouGov is exploring the sale of its Shopper division after warning investors that fiscal 2026 profits will fall due to increased investment in AI-enabled products. Shares dropped 12% following the announcement, hitting their lowest point in nearly a decade. CEO Stephan Shakespeare framed the spending as essential to repositioning YouGov as "the industry-leading pioneer in the age of AI", but analysts at Berenberg cut their 2026 EBIT forecast by 11%.

Our take: YouGov's experience is a cautionary tale that many UK businesses will recognise. The market often punishes companies for investing in AI before the returns materialise. But the alternative - not investing - is worse. The key is having a clear roadmap that ties AI spending to measurable business outcomes, not just aspirational positioning.

House of Lords Launches AI Healthcare Investigation

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has announced a new investigation into how artificial intelligence can accelerate clinical trials and personalised medicine in the UK. The inquiry will examine opportunities across the health innovation pipeline, from drug discovery through to patient outcomes.

Our take: This is a positive signal from Westminster. The UK government is clearly positioning AI as central to NHS reform and health sector modernisation. For businesses working in healthtech or life sciences, this committee investigation could shape future regulatory frameworks and funding priorities. Worth following closely.

Anthropic's Claude Can Now Control Your Computer

Anthropic has launched computer use capabilities for its Claude AI assistant, enabling it to open applications, navigate web browsers, fill in spreadsheets and complete multi-step tasks on a user's device. The feature pairs with Dispatch, released last week, which lets users assign tasks from their phone and return to find the work completed on their desktop.

In a demo video, Anthropic showed a user asking Claude to export a pitch deck as a PDF and attach it to a meeting invite, all while the user was away from their computer. The move positions Anthropic squarely against the viral success of open-source agent platforms like OpenClaw.

Our take: The agentic AI race is now firmly underway. Computer use is still early and will make mistakes, but the direction of travel is clear: AI assistants are moving from "I can answer your questions" to "I can do your work." For businesses, the practical question is no longer whether AI agents will be useful, but how quickly your team can learn to delegate effectively to them.

Meta Offers Executives Billions in Stock Options to Win AI Race

Meta is granting stock options to its top executives for the first time since its 2012 IPO, in a move designed to retain leadership during its massive AI spending push. CTO Andrew Bosworth, Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, VP of AI Jerome Pesenti, and COO Javier Olivan could each earn up to $2.7 billion, but only if Meta's stock price rises at least 88% from current levels. The company plans to spend up to $135 billion in AI capital expenditure this year.

Our take: The sheer scale of Meta's AI bet is staggering. $135 billion in capex, multi-billion-dollar executive retention packages, and 20% workforce reductions to fund it all. This is what "all in on AI" looks like at the largest scale. For smaller businesses, the lesson is not to match the spending but to recognise that the technology giants are reshaping entire industries around AI. Positioning your business to benefit from that transformation, rather than being disrupted by it, is the strategic imperative.

CFOs Privately Admit AI Layoffs Will Be 9x Higher This Year

A new working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research, based on a survey of 750 US CFOs, reveals that approximately 502,000 roles are expected to be cut due to AI in 2026 - a ninefold increase from last year's 55,000 AI-attributed layoffs. However, the researchers emphasise this represents just 0.4% of the total US workforce, calling it "not the doomsday job scenario" that headlines might suggest.

Perhaps more interesting is the study's finding on productivity: there is a significant gap between the perceived productivity gains from AI and the actual results. CFOs believe AI is more productive than it has proven to be so far, suggesting the real returns may take longer to materialise than many businesses expect.

Our take: The productivity gap is the buried headline here. Businesses are investing in AI expecting immediate returns, but the data suggests a meaningful lag between adoption and measurable impact. This is not a reason to delay, it is a reason to set realistic expectations and focus on implementation quality rather than speed. The companies that train their people properly and integrate AI thoughtfully will see returns sooner than those that rush.

Quick Hits

• monday.com launches AI agent marketplace. The work management platform launched Agentalent.ai, where enterprises can discover, evaluate and "hire" AI agents for specific business roles. The platform authenticates and qualifies agents before making them available, treating AI workers like candidates in a talent marketplace.
• AI creativity is more predictable than human thought. A new study published in Neuroscience News found that while LLM outputs can appear highly creative in isolation, they suffer from a fundamental lack of diversity. Multiple AI systems tend to converge on similar ideas, whereas human creativity produces genuinely varied outputs.
• Nature: AI job impact has been modest so far. An analysis in Nature argues that current evidence points to only modest effects of AI tools on employment, suggesting that bad data and alarm are driving more anxiety than actual automation. The piece highlights how the gap between predictions and reality remains significant.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are UK businesses keeping up with AI adoption?

No. New research shows 92% of UK employers are not listing AI skills in job adverts, and 61% of large professional services firms have abandoned at least one AI project due to skills shortages. Most businesses are paying for AI-enabled tools they are not using effectively.

How many jobs will AI cut in 2026?

According to a new NBER study of 750 US CFOs, approximately 502,000 roles are expected to be cut due to AI in 2026, representing about 0.4% of the total workforce. This is nine times higher than 2025 but far from the doomsday scenarios some predict. About half the cuts will affect white-collar roles.

What are agentic AI capabilities and why do they matter?

Agentic AI refers to AI systems that can autonomously complete multi-step tasks on your behalf, such as opening applications, navigating websites and filling in documents. Anthropic's Claude recently launched computer use capabilities, and platforms like monday.com are creating marketplaces to hire AI agents for business roles. For businesses, this represents a shift from AI as a question-answering tool to AI as a task-completing assistant.