Goldsmiths, University of London, conducted research for Microsoft, revealing that successful businesses and productive public sector organizations have a clear artificial intelligence (AI) strategy and are gearing up for agentic AI.
The study, featured in Microsoft’s Agents of Change report, surveyed 1,480 senior leaders and 1,440 employees in the UK across various sectors. While most leaders and employees recognize the benefits of AI, many feel their organizations are not fully equipped to capitalize on them due to barriers like workforce readiness, strategy, and regulatory uncertainty.
Secretary of State Peter Kyle emphasized the role of AI agents in enabling organizations to work smarter, not just faster.
Chris Brauer, the director of innovation at Goldsmiths, noted that agentic AI could transform operations, enhance resilience, and liberate employees from mundane tasks if organizations take proactive steps. Both high- and low-performing organizations can benefit from AI in today’s landscape.
The report highlighted that a majority of leaders (67%) and employees (46%) believe AI’s autonomous handling of time-consuming tasks could boost productivity. Microsoft defines agentic AI as a system capable of making decisions and achieving goals with minimal human intervention.
Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman pointed out that agentic AI can eliminate digital drudgery, enabling employees to focus on more creative and value-adding tasks.
The survey participants expressed interest in leveraging AI for cost reduction, efficiency gains, and business resilience. However, only 46% of leaders reported having a formal AI strategy in place. This figure has increased since 2024 but is still insufficient to fully harness the potential of agentic AI.
The report warned that organizations not embracing AI risk falling behind, hindering innovation, growth, and competitiveness. To support this initiative, Microsoft introduced the AI Accelerator for Sales program, offering access to AI experts to assist with CRM system migration and seller adoption, along with personalized AI agent output tailored to specific business requirements.
