Chief financial officers at some of Britain’s largest companies are becoming more optimistic about artificial intelligence, even as they remain cautious about geopolitical uncertainty, weak productivity and cost pressures across the UK economy.
Deloitte Survey Shows Rising AI Optimism2416
The latest numbers show a sharp change in executive sentiment.
Reuters reported that Deloitte’s survey found 73% of UK chief financial officers were optimistic about AI improving their businesses’ performance, up from 59% at the end of last year and 39% two years ago.
The change suggests that more finance leaders are beginning to see AI less as an experimental technology and more as a business performance tool. For CFOs, that matters because AI adoption is often judged through productivity, efficiency and cost control rather than hype alone.
Geopolitical Worries Ease but Remain High
The survey also showed that some risks are becoming less intense. CFOs’ average rating of geopolitical concerns fell to 68 on a s’ average rating of geopolitical concerns fell to 68 on a 0-to-100 scale, down from 79 at the start of 2026.
That decline does not mean businesses are relaxed. It means the level of concern has softened from an earlier peak. The result points to a cautious improvement in executive mood, especially after a period of global uncertainty affecting trade, energy, investment and corporate planning.
Productivity and Competitiveness Still Weigh on Firms
Despite stronger AI hopes, the UK’s economic weaknesses remain a concern. Worries about poor productivity and weak competitiveness in the UK economy were little changed at 63.
U.S. News also reported that concerns about productivity and competitiveness remained elevated among the surveyed finance chiefs.
This is where AI becomes especially important for corporate finance leaders. If companies believe AI can improve performance, automate routine work, speed up analysis or reduce operational friction, then it becomes part of the answer to productivity problems. But CFOs are also likely to demand measurable returns before increasing spending aggressively.
Energy Concerns Move Lower
Energy risk also declined in the survey. Concerns about higher energy prices or disruption to energy services fell to 60 from 70 in the first quarter of 2026.
Lower energy anxiety could give firms more room to think about investment, but it does not erase broader caution. AI systems, cloud services and data infrastructure can also raise technology and energy demands, making cost discipline an important part of any AI strategy.
Deloitte Economist Says Cost Control Still Dominates
Deloitte’s economists emphasized that CFOs are still operating carefully. Deloitte UK Chief Economist Debapratim De, shared that the global economy has weathered the shock from the conflict in Iran better than many had feared, but concerns over geopolitics and domestic competitiveness remain elevated.
The survey was based on a small but influential group. 58 CFOs were surveyed between July 1 and July 13.
The findings suggest that AI is gaining credibility inside corporate finance departments, but not in a free-spending environment. UK CFOs appear more hopeful that AI can improve business performance, yet they are still managing against high uncertainty, weak competitiveness and pressure to conserve cash. In other words, AI optimism is rising, but the finance chiefs watching the budget are not ready to abandon discipline.
