Finance leaders at some of the UK’s largest companies are becoming increasingly optimistic about the role of artificial intelligence in driving business performance, even as geopolitical and economic risks remain on their radar, according to a new survey published by Deloitte.
The survey found that 73% of UK Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) believe AI will improve their businesses’ performance, up from 59% at the end of 2025 and 39% 2 years ago, highlighting growing confidence in AI adoption across the corporate sector.
The findings also show that concerns around geopolitics have eased. On a 0-100 scale, the average rating for geopolitical concerns fell to 68, compared with 79 at the beginning of 2026.
Meanwhile, worries about weak productivity and declining competitiveness in the UK economy remained largely unchanged at 63. Concerns over rising energy prices and disruptions to energy services also declined, falling to 60 from 70 in the 1st quarter of 2026.
Commenting on the findings, Deloitte UK Chief Economist Debapratim De said, “The global economy has so far weathered the shock from the conflict in Iran better than many had feared. However, concerns over geopolitics and domestic competitiveness remain elevated. CFOs continue to prioritise cost reduction and cash control in this environment.”
The survey was conducted between July 1 and July 13 and gathered responses from 58 CFOs across the UK.
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