Business News Round Up (03/09/2026)
AI remains top challenge for Scottish business, despite adoption rise
Despite the use of AI in UK businesses rising in the last three years, according to the latest government figures, AI adoption remains one of the biggest challenges facing businesses in Scotland – a new survey has found. According to research from accountancy and advisory firm BDO LLP, almost a quarter of businesses in Scotland (24%) rank AI adoption and technological change as one of their top concerns over the next six months, outweighing reduced customer demand and spending and access to finance. As a result, over a third of Scottish businesses (37%) plan to accelerate investment in AI or automation in response, to help improve productivity. Earlier this summer, the government published figures showing that ‘self-reported’ use of AI in UK businesses [with 10 or more employees] has increased from around 12% to around 35% since late 2023, with larger firms more likely to have adopted AI.
https://www.digit.fyi/ai-remains-top-challenge-for-scottish-business-despite-adoption-rise
£10 million Hospitality Grant Scheme launches in boost for independent pubs, restaurants and cafes
Village pubs, family-run restaurants, and neighbourhood cafés received a boost today as a new £10 million three-year Hospitality Grant Scheme has launched for applications. Money will be invested into projects that help get new hospitality ventures off the ground, bring vacant premises back into use, or support training programmes that help people develop the skills, confidence and work ethic to open doors to future careers. For example, non-profit The Right Course used pilot funding to help transform two prison staff restaurants and kitchens into a hospitality training facility, providing inmates with valuable experience in a realistic, high-street-style working environment. The Hospitality Sector Council and innovation lab specialist L Marks brought together hospitality businesses and leading tech companies to find new ways to boost productivity in the industry, leading to hours of work being saved & reduced costs.
Half of UK firms fear staff are feeding company secrets to AI
Over half of UK businesses (51%) fear employees are feeding sensitive company data into unauthorised AI tools, as businesses face a growing challenge in maintaining visibility and control over AI deployment, new research from Turbotic shows. The study, which surveyed more than 1,000 senior decision-makers involved in setting and assessing AI projects in UK businesses, also shed light on the prevalence of Shadow AI, where employees use AI tools without formal approval or oversight. Here, nearly nine in 10 (88%) said they believed it was being used within their organisation, with IT departments showing the highest reported use of unauthorised AI at 36%, followed by customer service (30%), marketing (28%) and sales (27%). Alongside concerns around staff sharing sensitive data with AI, other top worries included regulatory or compliance breaches (38%), employees using AI without management oversight (36%) and inaccurate or unreliable AI-generated information influencing business decisions (35%).
ICAS calls on Scottish Government to act on growth and public services
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has urged the Scottish Government to translate its ambitious Programme for Government 2026/27 into concrete delivery, warning that the nation’s economic growth has been “too low for too long”. The call comes as First Minister John Swinney unveiled a wide-ranging package of reforms, prioritising child poverty eradication, economic growth, climate action, and stronger public services. ICAS’s chief executive, Gail Boag, emphasised the critical need for actionable plans to underpin the government’s stated objectives. “We agree with the First Minister that Scotland’s economic growth has been ‘too low for too long’. Addressing that challenge needs more than ambition alone. The priority now must be delivery,” Boag stated. She acknowledged the commitment to meaningful public service reform as positive, but stressed that “bold promises must now be backed by clear plans for delivery and improved outcomes for citizens.”