A recent report authored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in collaboration with Strand Partners, and titled Unlocking Europe’s AI Potential In The Digital Decade reveals that we stand at a pivotal moment for AI adoption, with UK companies embracing artificial intelligence at an unprecedented rate—a 31% increase from 2022 to 2023. This surge promises to add a significant £520 billion to the UK economy by 2030, potentially positioning the UK as a global tech superpower ahead of schedule. Key to this growth is the utilisation of large language models and generative AI by 70% of businesses integrating AI technologies.

However, the journey is not without its challenges. A notable digital skills gap poses a barrier to further technological adoption, with a mere 13% of businesses finding it easy to recruit digitally skilled employees. This gap highlights the urgent need for investment in digital skills training, a task requiring both public and private sector collaboration.