AI is now mainstream for Scotland plc, with AI use by Scottish businesses maturing according to a survey carried out by Scottish AI and software development firm Zudu.

Over 50 Scottish businesses were surveyed, from SMEs to larger corporates, during Q2 of 2026, finding that 94 per cent of respondents are now using AI, 38 per cent have applied AI across the business, with 19 per cent in more specific areas.

Regarding return on investment (ROI), almost 70 per cent are seeing either a clear ROI from AI or early positive signs.  And, looking ahead, 75 per cent rate AI as highly important to their future business success.

Zudu CEO Paul Duffy said: “AI is increasingly viewed as a core business capability, rather than an emerging technology trend.”

One in four Scottish businesses polled have been using AI for more than 2 years, while 1 in 3 started using AI over the last 6 months.

In terms of areas of the business where AI is being applied most by companies, 77 per cent of AI use is in marketing and content, 62 per cent in data and reporting, 38 per cent in sales, 38 per cent in operations, 31 per cent in software development, 31 per cent in finance and administration, 23 per cent in customer support, and 15 per cent in HR.

Other key findings included that 80 per cent of businesses are using AI every day, leadership teams manage AI strategy in almost 50 per cent of Scottish businesses, 53 per cent have paid subscriptions for AI platforms, 40 per cent have an allocated AI budget, and 1 in 5 businesses are building custom-made AI internally.

Tony Quinn, CEO of Glasgow-headquartered SilverCloud, an IT and cyber security group who participated in Zudu’s survey, said: “The stat that stood out for me was how few Scottish businesses said their IT team owns the AI within the business.  We see it every day, with AI running in three or four places across a business that nobody in IT knew about.”

SilverCloud CEO Quinn added: “The £23 billion contribution from AI to the national economy by 2035 being targeted by the Scottish Government is the right ambition, but businesses are already moving faster than the support around them. The ones who’ll get there are the ones who name an owner, write the rules down and ask for help on the bits they don’t have.”

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When it comes to barriers to AI adoption, 69 per cent of businesses cited lack of expertise, 38 per cent referenced data and compliance concerns, 31 per cent said costs, and 31 per cent said time constraint.  63 per cent of respondents said they would use external support to better implement AI.

On concerns about AI, 93 per cent said accuracy, 53 per cent said data privacy, 20 per cent said reputational risk, and 13 per cent said regulation.

Zudu CEO Paul Duffy added: “In summary, AI adoption is now widespread, the biggest barrier is capability not cost, businesses want to move beyond experimentation, to which many are seeking external support, and AI is now overwhelmingly a strategic priority.”

CEO Duffy continued: “Many organisations are using AI tools but have not progressed into custom solutions, structured automation, governance, or measurement of business outcomes.  This creates a significant opportunity for organisations to bridge the gap between experimentation and implementation.”