Data leaders at the UK’s largest organisations are the most optimistic in the world about AI deployments, with much higher levels of trust and some of the lowest levels of caution amongst their global peers, according to a new survey by The Harris Poll for Dataiku.

Less than half (43%) of UK data leaders at organisations with an annual revenue of over $1bn say they have delayed or blocked an AI Agent deployment at their company in the past year, making them the least likely globally.

This is a markedly lower number than more cautious global peers, particularly in the US (where 58% have delayed or blocked in the past year) and in Europe (59% across French and German markets).

In addition to a bias to action, British data leaders are also overwhelmingly trusting of AI agents: the research shows that 85% would allow an AI agent to make a business decision that they would personally stake their jobs on – the highest percentage of any global market.

This shows unusually high confidence in the abilities of AI agents, and much lower levels of caution than global counterparts.

“This research shows that British data leaders are the most likely in the world to take sharp, context-driven risks with their AI deployment,” said Florian Douetteau, CEO and co-founder of Dataiku. “Whilst it is positive to see British businesses are so willing to innovate, it is critical that organisations are able to explain, trace and govern this technology – that’s how AI will move from hype to real, trusted business impact.”

Recommended reading

• Digital Immaturity Stalling UK AI Ambitions
• UK AI Investment Outpaces AI Maturity, New Index Reveals
• Data Skills Gap Leading to Productivity Shortfalls

Despite their optimism, only 9% of British data leaders say they could confidently trace every AI decision made within their business if asked by a regulator. This suggests British data leaders are much less concerned about regulatory pressures than they are about rapid deployment, potentially reflecting the UK’s more relaxed approach to tech regulation than elsewhere in Europe.

Only 15% of British data leaders always require their AI systems to “show their work” (provide explainable reasoning or decision traceability) before approving them, the lowest of any global market. This further underlines the less cautious approach taken by British businesses towards AI compared to counterparts across the world.

The study was conducted by The Harris Poll for Dataiku, surveying 800+ senior data executives across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, UAE, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea.