AI Adoption: Teams Using GenAI Are Outpacing Their Competitors
A new study on AI Adoption by EY has revealed a stark divide between companies that are truly leveraging Generative AI and those that are simply dabbling. The results? The AI-enabled are pulling ahead quickly and everyone else risks being left behind.
The research, which surveyed over 1,200 UK professionals, found that while 85% are using GenAI weekly, only a small fraction are seeing significant business gains. Why? Because only a few have embedded AI into their operations in a way that actually transforms performance.
From Curiosity to Capability: Why Most AI Adoption Fails
Most companies are now flirting with AI - prompting ChatGPT here, testing an automation there - but the ones actually making it pay are doing something radically different.
EY calls these companies “AI Transformers”. They’re not treating AI as a novelty or a side project but baking it into their business models, workflows and team culture. And the difference in results is staggering.
Teams that truly integrate GenAI report:
• Twice the performance improvements
• Triple the time savings
• Greater team satisfaction, retention and cross-functional alignment
Meanwhile, those stuck in “AI pilot mode” are missing the point and the profits.
What High-Performing Teams Do Differently
EY’s study into AI adoption identifies five key behaviours that define successful AI teams and it’s not about having the biggest budget or flashiest tools.
At the top of the list? Leadership that doesn’t just talk about AI but actually want to use it, openly, consistently and visibly. In high-performing teams, leaders are prompt-sharers, use-case champions and they are unafraid to experiment in public.
Secondly, these teams encourage radical openness. Prompt strategies are shared. Lessons are circulated, because GenAI isn’t one person’s secret weapon it’s a team sport.
The third trait? Targeted training. No more generic “how to use ChatGPT” slideshows. High-performing teams get role-specific, challenge-led learning experiences.
EY’s final insights revolve around culture and integration: Teams that reward experimentation, accept small failures and tie GenAI to actual KPIs outperform the rest by miles.
The Real Risk: Getting Left Behind While You Wait
For SMEs, the temptation is often to wait - for the right moment, the right tool or the right hire. But the real risk isn’t moving too fast. It’s falling into irrelevance while your competitors move ahead.
“This research proves what we see every day,” says Christian Collison, co-founder of AI Expert, the Worcestershire-based consultancy helping SMEs implement AI properly. “If you’re not embedding AI now, you’re already behind. The gap is widening and GenAI is no longer a competitive edge, it’s quickly becoming the minimum standard.”
AI Expert works with businesses to assess their readiness, identify fast wins and design a practical roadmap that integrates AI across operations. Unlike larger firms who deal in theory, we deliver action.
From Hype to Hard ROI
While a fair amount of business news around GenAI has focused on novelty, EY’s data brings the issue back down to earth. Teams using AI well aren’t just writing emails faster, they’re changing how decisions are made, how data is used and how people collaborate.
And that means better margins, faster turnaround and more profitable operations.
But these results don’t come from AI curiosity. They come from AI capability, and capability takes structure.
Next Step: Is Your Business Ready?
For leaders unsure where to begin, AI Expert’s AI Readiness Assessment is the place to start. It evaluates your business across five key areas - from culture to data - and gives you a tailored action plan.
Not just “should we use AI?” but:
• Where will it work best?
• What needs fixing first?
• What’s the real return?
Because AI is no longer about experimentation. It’s about transformation and if it’s not, you’re already being left behind.
