UK businesses may be putting more faith in AI than foreign tech, according to new research from VivaTech, which investigated tech issues ranging from sovereignty, AI adoption, cybersecurity, and 2026 budgetary priorities.

The research revealed a paradox in trust, with geopolitical uncertainty and regional regulatory burdens driving the push for data sovereignty, while businesses increasingly deploy AI in expanding functions.

“This 2026 barometer paints a new picture of technological confidence: American and British executives consider the nationality of their tech supplier to be essential, while most Europeans consider it a ‘plus’,” François Bitouzet, CEO of VivaTech, explained.

“This divergence is not anecdotal; it reveals two visions of sovereignty, one “de facto” and the other “contradictory.” In response to this, we are seeing a real acceleration in Europe on tech issues, with investments in AI and cybersecurity becoming a priority.

“But we must be wary of a new paradox that we are observing: while 9 out of 10 executives trust AI, 4 out of 10 admit to having shared confidential data with tools they did not fully trust.”

Tech Sovereignty

When adopting a new technological tool, 92% of executives would favour a future partner who shares their nationality, and nearly half of them (47%) would make this commonality a decisive factor.

This essential aspect is particularly emphasised by the English-speaking countries surveyed (57% in the United States and the United Kingdom), while the majority of EU members consider it a “plus” rather than an obligation, with the exception of the Netherlands, which places equal importance on both concepts.

Furthermore, 63% of executives say they are concerned about the loss of sovereignty that may accompany technological progress.

Companies consistently have to contend with some form of foreign tech dependence, be it for data analytics, cloud providers, system service providers, or AI. This can bring regulatory burdens and privacy concerns for companies that need to rely on these services which are increasingly concentrated in certain regions.

The Geography of Trust

The geographical origin of tech solutions has a significant influence on the level of trust placed in them (86%).

Nearly one in two executives (47%) cite their own country as one of the regions they trust the most, but the boundaries of trust extend far beyond that.

In the US, about half (51%) of Americans trust their own country, while they trust the whole North American continent even more (62%).

In Europe, executives typically favour their own solutions (43%), with France placing the most trust in European solutions (63%).

In the UK, opinion is more split, with UK executives trusting their own capabilities (56%) only slightly more than they trust Europe (53%). Just 39% trust US tech, while 34% trust Asian tech.

For executives, trust is primarily linked to security issues (57%). It is then associated with qualitative innovation issues (50%) alongside more positive performance issues (49%).

AI Paradox

Artificial intelligence has convinced executives of its reliability, with 89% trusting AI to guide their company’s decisions, regardless of their sector of activity. AI inspires confidence in them in terms of technology and decision-making, as well as job security over the next 12 months, despite its sometimes uncontrolled use.

83% of executives are confident in the sustainable and controlled development of financial investments in artificial intelligence.

Only 17% fear a speculative bubble. It should be noted that the French are more pessimistic than other countries surveyed, with 30% expressing concern.

The integration of AI is not intended to lead to layoffs in the short term, as 92% are confident (including 48% who are very confident) in their ability to maintain employment levels over the next 12 months.

Four out of ten executives have already shared information about their company with an AI tool they did not fully trust.

This proportion remains consistent regardless of country, payroll size, or industry. AI has been widely adopted in companies, but the framework for its use and raising awareness among teams is taking more time: AI could potentially generate data security and confidentiality issues.

Investments

When it comes to tech investment, cybersecurity leads the way, with 82% of executives saying they have already invested in this area. This is followed by investments in artificial intelligence (76%), 5G (73%), cloud computing (72%) and, after a second drop, the Internet of Things (54%).

The ranking remains broadly similar in France, with 81% of executives having invested in cybersecurity and 71% in 5G, while investment levels appear to be lower for artificial intelligence (65%), cloud computing (49%) and the Internet of Things (40%).

Among these technologies, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity also stand out in terms of the intensity of future investment: 87% say they will increase their investment (including 53% significantly) and 77% (including 42% significantly) over the next 12 months.

In France, this trend is clearly evident, with 82% of executives planning to increase their investments in AI and 74% in cybersecurity.

Two other technologies are particularly popular with current investors: robotic process automation (80%, including 36% strongly) and quantum computing (76%, including 45% strongly) to support AI ambitions.

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International Competition

87% of executives consider that companies in their country are internationally competitive in tech (and the figure rises to 94% among medium-sized companies).

While the United States remains the most enthusiastic (92%, including 61% who are “very enthusiastic,” up 19 points vs. 2024), the European countries in the survey are experiencing a marked acceleration in confidence, thereby reducing the gap with the leader.

With a score of 90% in the UK, the country appears to be holding its own against the US.

This is compared to 81% in France (up 12 points in 2024) and Spain (up 11 points in 2025).

Societal Challenges

The tech executives surveyed believe in the ability of major technological innovations to solve the great challenges of our time: 94% confirm this, and 50% of them do so without a moment’s hesitation.

Diversity, inclusion, and the environment remain values strongly upheld by leaders in the national tech ecosystem (85%). However, they show a certain pragmatism, since paradoxically, the revision of priorities by certain tech giants in early 2025 is welcomed by nearly half of them (48%), while a quarter are disappointed. It should be noted that in Spain, the “business first” vision is more clearly evident, with fewer people indifferent and 60% satisfied.