Business · 23 June 2026
AI in Business
For business leaders and professionals
At askKira, we provide secure, personalised enterprise AI for UK businesses. Our platform prevents data leaks, protects IP and client data, and gives your teams AI-powered tools at a fraction of the cost of other enterprise solutions.
This week's roundup brings you the latest AI developments that matter for UK organisations.
Government Policy & Procurement
UK Government Reshapes Procurement Around National Security
The Chancellor and Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister have announced a new drive to use the power of public spending to strengthen national security and economic resilience. The initiative signals a significant shift in how government contracts will be assessed, with security considerations now treated as a primary filter rather than an afterthought. This directly affects how technology suppliers, including AI vendors, will need to demonstrate their credentials to win public sector work.
Why it matters: UK organisations supplying to the public sector, or competing for government contracts, must now build national security compliance into their AI procurement strategies or risk being shut out of significant opportunities.
Read the source on gov.uk →Enterprise AI Strategy
The AI Industry Has Shifted from Model Wars to Agent Wars
Analysts are signalling that 2026 marks a decisive turn in enterprise AI: the race is no longer about who has the biggest model, but who can deploy AI that actually completes business tasks autonomously. Alongside this, Gartner forecasts global data centre electricity consumption will grow by 26% this year, with AI-optimised servers accounting for nearly a third of that power. Businesses are simultaneously entering an ROI scrutiny phase, asking not just whether AI works but whether it pays.
Why it matters: UK business leaders investing in AI tools should shift their evaluation criteria from capability benchmarks to demonstrated return on investment, particularly as infrastructure and inference costs rise and smaller, purpose-built models become more commercially viable.
Read the source on LinkedIn →Building Trust May Matter More Than Building Bigger AI
A widely shared leadership reflection this week challenges organisations to examine what is actually driving their AI investment decisions. The argument is that many businesses are not really chasing AI capability — they are chasing certainty, the fear of being left behind. The piece warns that unmanaged AI can create more uncertainty than it resolves, particularly when organisations cannot explain decisions, verify outputs or demonstrate human oversight.
Why it matters: For UK organisations operating under UK GDPR and ICO accountability principles, the ability to explain and evidence AI-driven decisions is not optional — it is a compliance requirement, and a genuine competitive differentiator.
Read the source on LinkedIn →UK Business & AI Adoption
London Leads Europe in AI Investment and Talent Concentration
Bloomberg's Tech Europe series this week spotlighted London's position at the centre of Europe's AI boom, highlighting record levels of AI investment flowing into the UK capital, a deep talent base and significant government backing for British AI companies. The episode examines how the UK has positioned itself ahead of other European economies in attracting AI infrastructure and enterprise deployments.
Why it matters: UK business leaders should be aware that the conditions for scaling AI adoption domestically are improving rapidly, reducing the case for relying on US or European providers when UK-based, UK-regulated alternatives are increasingly available.
Read the source on YouTube →AI Literacy in the Workplace Is Now a Strategic Imperative
A new discussion featuring Gareth Edwards argues that the question of whether employees will use AI has already been answered — they will and they are. The real challenge now is whether they will use it well. The conversation explores what genuine AI literacy looks like in practice, moving beyond tool awareness to building confident, critical and consistent use across teams.
Why it matters: UK employers who invest in structured AI literacy programmes now, rather than waiting for staff to self-teach, will see measurably better outcomes from their AI deployments and reduce the risk of poor or unethical AI use going unnoticed.
Read the source on YouTube →