Autodesk’s new State of Design & Make AI Pulse report has revealed growing AI maturity and stronger business impact  across UK industry.

The research, which surveyed UK industry professionals in the design and make categories across architecture, engineering, constructionand operations (AECO);  design and manufacturing (D&M); and media and entertainment (M&E) shows that UK businesses are becoming more optimistic despite ongoing economic uncertainty. 

As AI becomes increasingly embedded in everyday workflows, the question is no longer whether organisations should use AI, but how they can implement it to deliver meaningful value.

They reported that AI has had a positive impact on productivity (84%), driving innovation (76%) and improvements in decision-making (63%) – all at least a 10-percentage point improvement from the previous year. 

UK industries are continuing to show increasing optimism and resilience. While uncertainty (56%) and capacity concerns (27%) remain, both have decreased slightly year on year. Meanwhile, more companies are considering entering new markets (72%, up from 63% in 2025), signalling renewed confidence in growth. 

The findings suggest that organisations are moving beyond experimentation and into a more mature phase of AI adoption, with a growing focus on embedding AI products into workflows. This is reflected in increased investment, with 79% of companies saying their AI spend has risen compared with last year, signalling greater confidence in AI’s potential to deliver business value.

In the UK, AI use has increased significantly across a wide range of tools, reflecting a more mature phase of adoption. For example, organisations now use AI across assistants and chatbots (61%, up from 42% in 2025); design programmes (54%, up from 42%), and project management (66%, up from 43% in 2025). This growth demonstrates how AI is becoming embedded not only in operational functions, but also in creative and strategic workflows.

“It’s clear that leaders have moved from just experimenting with AI to actively investing in and adopting AI tools across their organisations”, said Anthony Ruto, senior director of research engineering at Autodesk. “AI is becoming an expected part of how businesses operate, and the focus now needs to be on how to use these tools as effectively as possible. Investing in areas that support workflows and innovation is key to ensuring AI delivers meaningful value.”

Click here to read the full report. 

Last year ACE, in partnership with Autodesk launched AI and the New Era of Engineering Innovation, a paper exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming the UK’s engineering and consultancy sector. Click here to read more.