TECHNOLOGY STRATEGY
THE ENTERPRISE AI GAP
• More than 70 % of employees use AI weekly, but up to onethird do so outside IT oversight, exposing severe shadow AI risks( Lenovo’ s Work Reborn)
• Across EMEA, the organisations achieving the highest returns from AI are those with mature governance, data management, and risk controls( ServiceNow’ s AI Maturity Index 2026)
• Inadequate data accuracy, access and governance remain the single largest bottleneck to scaling AI, cited by 73 % of UK executives( ServiceNow’ s AI Maturity Index 2026)
• 90 % of IT leaders report critical gaps in defending against AI-driven threats( Lenovo)
Damian: Organisations should measure AI by output, not just input. Productivity matters, but so does faster resolution, less rework, fewer escalations, better compliance, better employee experiences and stronger customer outcomes. That chimes with the wider UK conversation too: we are moving from AI ambition to delivery, and that only works if businesses build both the technology foundations and the skills around them.
UK demand for tech skills is projected to grow 18 % by 2031, according to ServiceNow’ s Workforce Skills Forecast 2026, but the differentiator will be combining that with human strengths. AI can summarise, recommend and orchestrate within guardrails. People still own judgement, empathy, ethics, leadership and the decisions where accountability really matters.
66 October 2026