New Research: UK small businesses want AI to win back time, not just write copy

Seven in ten UK small business owners are confident using AI, with most currently using it for content and marketing – but 68% want to learn more about what agentic AI could do next

LONDON, Sept. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- UK small businesses are facing an emerging "AI productivity gap", with confidence in using artificial intelligence running significantly ahead of the way businesses are utilising AI tools, according to new research from the Small Business Institute and Accio, Alibaba.com's agentic AI platform for businesses.

Based on a study of 1,000 UK small business owners, the research found seven in ten (70%) are somewhat or very confident using generative AI, yet fewer than half (48%) are using it regularly, revealing a gap between confidence and measurable productivity impact.

Among small businesses using AI, nearly three quarters (74%) use it for content creation and marketing, while only a third apply it to data analysis or reporting, and  just 5% use it for supply chain management.

The findings also show that while generative AI has become part of everyday working life for many entrepreneurs, businesses are yet to extend that use into AI that can tackle more complex, time-consuming and high-value tasks that come with running a business. Six in 10 (60%) small business owners see improved work-life balance as a potential advantage of agentic AI specifically, and half (50%) believe it could free up more time for marketing their business and winning new customers.

Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO & Founder of Small Business Britain, said: "We know small business owners wear many different hats when running their businesses, so it's hugely encouraging to see growing confidence in AI as a critical tool. However, the research also makes clear AI's – and particularly agentic AI's – untapped potential. There is a real opportunity for technology to completely revolutionise how small business owners manage their business, potentially freeing up more time to focus on the areas that can really take their business to the next level."

Michelle Lau, Managing Director of Alibaba.com, said: "AI has had a transformative effect on many small businesses across the UK, but when we look a little closer, much of the adoption today has been at a surface level. We're entering the era of agentic AI with tools like Accio, which can research markets, evaluate suppliers and manage day-to-day operations on a business's behalf, enabling small businesses to progress more business-critical workstreams at once, access more insightful information on suppliers, trends and market data and save more time day-to-day for greater work-life balance or other areas of their business."

Accio is Alibaba.com's agentic AI platform for businesses, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs through every stage of running and growing their operations. Businesses can use Accio to research markets, identify product opportunities, develop products, evaluate suppliers and manage daily operations.

Awareness of agentic AI is still developing, with 44% of small businesses having heard of it and just 5% using it regularly. But there is a clear appetite to learn, with 68% of UK entrepreneurs wanting to find out more about what agentic AI can do, from researching options and comparing information to identifying potential solutions and helping move a task towards completion.

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Notes to Editors

Small Business Institute Research 

Data comes from survey of 1,000 small business owners from August 2026; Small Business Institute is the knowledge and capability hub for the small business community, run by Small Business Britain.

About Small Business Britain

Small Business Britain is the UK's leading champion of small businesses, supporting the UK's 5.7 million small businesses, no matter their location, their sector, or their ambition level. 

Through a series of campaigns, networks, training and reports, Small Business Britain champions and informs small businesses in the UK. Committed to making entrepreneurship as inclusive as possible, it brings small business owners together to foster growth and increased confidence.  
https://smallbusinessbritain.uk

Twitter: @britainsmallbiz
Facebook: @smallbusinessbritain
Instagram: britainsmallbiz

About Alibaba.com

Launched in 1999, Alibaba.com is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering various aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. Alibaba.com is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group.

About Accio

Accio is Alibaba.com's plug-and-play enterprise AI agent designed to support the operational needs of SMEs worldwide. It deploys specialised agents to execute complex tasks - from product design and sourcing to negotiation and CRM - handled in one continuous conversation.