UK SMEs spend more on Anthropic than OpenAI as AI adoption surges to 12.8 percent
New data shows British small businesses are increasing AI spending, with Anthropic capturing over half of the market share among these firms.
Key points
- Anthropic captures 54.1 percent of UK SME AI spending, edging out OpenAI.
- AI tool adoption among British SMEs rose from 1.1 percent in 2023 to 12.8 percent in 2026.
- Over 28 percent of these businesses use two or more AI platforms simultaneously.
British small and medium-sized enterprises are significantly increasing their expenditure on artificial intelligence tools, with Anthropic emerging as the dominant provider in this sector according to new research. The study, conducted by small business credit card provider Capital on Tap, reveals a rapid shift in how smaller firms utilize technology for daily operations. This surge in spending highlights a broader trend of AI integration within the UK’s smaller business demographic.
The average quarterly spend per SME on AI tools has grown to £75.60, with Anthropic’s Claude and related tools accounting for 54.1 percent of all AI-related expenditures. OpenAI’s ChatGPT holds the second position with 27.3 percent of the spending share. This data indicates that while OpenAI remains a major player, Anthropic is currently the preferred choice for British SMEs investing in generative AI solutions for their business processes.
Adoption Trends and Industry Breakdown
AI adoption among UK SMEs has accelerated markedly, rising from just 1.1 percent in 2023 to 12.8 percent in 2026. Approximately one in eight small businesses is now paying for AI tools, a figure that continues to grow rather than plateau. Damian Brychcy, CEO of Capital on Tap, noted that the pace of adoption is accelerating, suggesting that AI is becoming a standard operational cost for small firms rather than an experimental expense.
The publishing industry leads in AI adoption at 26 percent, followed by radio and television at 21.6 percent. Consulting firms also show high adoption rates at 21.6 percent, while the telecoms sector follows at 20.3 percent. The presence of development-focused tools like Replit and Lovable in the spending data suggests that many of the SMEs analyzed operate within the software development industry, leveraging these platforms to streamline coding and project management tasks.
Multi-Platform Usage and Risks
A significant portion of these businesses are not relying on a single provider, with over 28 percent of SMEs using two or more AI platforms concurrently. This multi-vendor approach introduces complexity, as the balance between providers can shift within a single quarter. There is suspicion that some firms may be maintaining duplicate subscriptions, potentially due to forgotten trial cancellations or an attempt to test different tools without fully committing to one.
Brychcy warned that this duplication creates financial inefficiency, urging SMEs to evaluate whether each tool is earning its place. The report also highlights a potential security gap, as few small businesses have dedicated IT personnel to fully understand the risks associated with these tools. This lack of specialized oversight could leave firms vulnerable to data leaks or misuse of AI capabilities if proper governance is not established.
What should you do?
Organizations should audit their current AI subscriptions to identify and cancel redundant services that are not providing distinct value. It is crucial to ensure that sensitive business and customer data is not entered into unvetted AI tools, as this can lead to unauthorized data exposure. Additionally, companies should maintain human oversight for critical decisions, ensuring that AI outputs are checked for accuracy and appropriateness before implementation.
Background: Generative AI
Generative AI examples include text completion, image synthesis and code generation. These systems predict the next likely token based on vast training datasets. Understanding the underlying mechanics helps you identify risks like data leakage and hallucination in your infrastructure.
Read the full guide: Generative AI Examples: Mechanisms, Risks and Control
What to do and how to stay safe: Anthropic
- Review all active AI subscriptions to eliminate duplicate services and reduce unnecessary costs.
- Verify that sensitive business and customer data is kept out of any AI tools that have not been properly vetted for security.
- Ensure that human judgment is retained for critical decisions rather than delegating them entirely to AI models.
- Regularly check AI-generated output for accuracy and potential biases before using it in official communications or operations.
Step-by-step guide: Prompt Injection Warning Signs: How to Spot AI Manipulation
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Which AI provider is most popular among UK SMEs?
Anthropic is the most popular AI provider, capturing 54.1 percent of AI spending among British SMEs.
How much are SMEs spending on AI tools on average?
The average quarterly spend per SME on AI tools is £75.60.
Which industry has the highest AI adoption rate?
The publishing industry leads in AI adoption at 26 percent, followed by radio and television.
