Number of AI companies in the UK 2023, by sector

Technology consultancies constituted the single largest grouping of AI companies in the United Kingdom, accounting for over 1,700 companies. Software was the smallest grouping, probably owing to the considerable difficulty in recruiting, training, and maintaining a strong software staff.

UK focused on improvement 

Of the many AI research hubs in the United Kingdom, the most numerous are those that fall under the umbrella of accelerators. A business accelerator is a program that gives developing companies access to mentorship, investors and other support that help them become stable, self-sufficient businesses. Companies that use business accelerators are typically start-ups that have moved beyond the earliest stages of getting established. This has the secondary effect of the UK being low on incubators, that is, tech hubs designed to develop all new technologies. Of these, there are just around 20 in the entire country.

Cleaving close to its neighbors

The UK is more similar to its European counterparts than, for example, the United States, at least when it comes to legislation. While the UK tends to legislate less heavily and broadly than the EU, at the country level it has passed the same number of AI bills as its closest neighbor, France. Indeed, the U.S. had only passed a single AI bill in 2023, demonstrating the relative newness of the debate on AI.