More than half of large UK organisations now say regulation and governance frameworks are making them more confident about deploying AI, not less. The friction, according to a YouGov survey of 500 senior decision-makers, lies elsewhere.
Snowflake commissioned the research earlier this year, and the headline finding runs counter to the frequent framing of compliance as an obstacle. 53% of respondents said regulation and governance are actively advancing AI adoption. 45% said better data integration is essential to unlocking AI's potential. 31% identified data quality as their biggest barrier to productivity gains.
Those last two numbers create a tension the report doesn't resolve tidily: organisations know data foundations matter, but haven't fixed them. Fragmented ownership across executive, technology, and data leadership teams is slowing decisions and making it harder to scale pilots into sustained programmes. 23% have achieved broad productivity improvements from AI; 45% report early or modest gains.
Ethics and safety concerns are shaping deployment decisions for over 60% of respondents — a figure that rises in the public sector, where assurance requirements extend timelines but are also seen as foundational to long-term trust.
UK organisations are building the right foundations for AI success, with governance and trust frameworks increasingly seen as enablers rather than barriers. However, to turn that progress into real outcomes, organisations need to address the fundamentals. Strong data foundations, clear ownership and alignment between AI initiatives and business objectives will be critical to scaling impact.
The survey, conducted by YouGov on behalf of Snowflake, covered 500 senior decision-makers at large UK organisations and was published 12 May 2026.
