Only one in 10 small businesses are providing staff with AI security training

Key takeaways

• Less than 20% of UK small businesses are using AI for admin tasks

• Only 10% of small businesses have invested in AI security training

• Business owners in Scotland are most open to using AI, while small businesses in Wales are the least likely to use AI

How Small Business Owners Are Currently Using AI

Our survey shows that 15% of UK business owners are currently using AI technologies to assist them with admin processes, and just under one in five small business owners (19%) have used AI to help with their marketing strategy.¹

Improving admin processes and creating a marketing strategy are two of the biggest areas where small business owners are using AI-powered tools, but uptake is still relatively low, according to our research.

Nearly two million² UK small business owners (36%) say they want to use AI tools to help automate or outsource administrative tasks, reporting and research tasks.

However, nearly 2.5 million small business owners (44%) don't intend to use AI to help them with these kinds of tasks.

UK Regional Attitudes

Small business owners in Scotland show the biggest appetite for embracing AI, with half (50%) saying they want to use it to automate and outsource admin, reporting and research tasks.

The next regions most open to incorporating AI into their business in this way are the South East (48%) and the South West (43%).

Business owners in Wales and Yorkshire and The Humber are showing more reluctance to embrace new AI tools, with only 20% of business owners wanting to reduce admin, reporting and research tasks with the help of AI.

Business owners in Wales show the most caution with AI - 60% said that without the right training, they worry that AI could expose their business to cyber threats.

Despite their openness to using AI, business owners in Scotland also express the same level of worry about cybersecurity risks associated with AI use for business.

AI Training Gap Leaves Businesses Feeling Unprepared

More than 2.48 million small business owners (44%) worry that using AI without proper safeguarding could expose their business to cyber threats, yet only 10% have invested in AI security training for their employees.

One in five (20%) small business owners further admit they would feel under-prepared if their business were targeted by a cyber-attack.

Alicia Hempsted
Insurance Expert

Business insurers are becoming aware of the new risks surrounding AI use

As the use of AI in business operations becomes more common, business insurance providers are becoming more aware of the risks. Businesses can be held liable if a mistake made by an AI tool that they're using causes harm or damage, so it's important to take precautions.

When applying for business insurance - in particular, cover like professional indemnity insurance - you may find insurers asking about your business's AI use. They may ask you what it's being used for and what steps your business is taking to reduce certain risks, such as when handling sensitive customer data.

So, if you're interested in increasing your business's use of AI, consider how you might answer these questions and reduce gaps in your insurance coverage by reviewing your policy's cover, speaking to your provider, and keep professional standards in mind when adopting AI.

_Sources

<sup>1. In early November 2025, MoneySuperMarket’s commissioned a nationally representative poll of 250 UK sole traders and business owners with companies sized between 1 – 49 employees.
2. Figures based on UK’s small business population size of 5.64 million, according to the Government’s 2025 figures.</sup>