Survey of UK business professionals uncovers stark perception gaps between senior leaders and frontline managers around AI skills and maturity.
Around two thirds of senior leaders (65%) rate their organisation’s AI governance, infrastructure and strategy highly compared to just 44% of mid-level and junior managers.
A 20% perception gap on AI culture: 61% of senior leaders vs 41% of mid‑level and junior managers say their organisation has a positive AI culture.
London, 5 February 2026 – Sopra Steria has today released new research that uncovers a disconnect between leadership and frontline managers on AI readiness at public and private sector organisations in the UK.
The study, which was carried out by its business transformation consultancy, Sopra Steria Next UK, revealed that, despite 65% of senior leaders (board members, C-suite executives and senior managers) believing their organisations have mature AI governance, infrastructure, and strategy, only 44% of mid-level and junior managers agree.
The findings show that while technology and data capabilities are advancing, expertise and strategic alignment remain major stumbling blocks – with those in senior leadership roles perceiving there to be far more AI progress and structure than is experienced by those on the front line.
A survey of 200 UK professionals asked senior leaders and frontline managers across a range of sectors and industries, to assess their organisation’s AI maturity across six pillars: governance, technology & infrastructure, expertise, data, culture, and strategy. Respondents used a 1–5 scale, where 1 indicates basic practices and 5 represents full incorporation.
The results revealed a striking misalignment across every pillar. For example, 64% of senior leaders said their AI strategy is aligned to strategic goals, integrated with business objectives and evolves based on internal feedback, yet only 35% of mid-level and junior managers agreed.
Becky Davis, Director of AI at Sopra Steria Next UK, commented:
“For many senior leaders there’s already an expectation that when it comes to AI, they’re able to confidently set direction, manage risk, and make the right calls. But this is often without a clear understanding of the fundamentals of AI. It’s perhaps no surprise, therefore, that those in leadership positions can often misunderstand and sometimes overstate their organisation’s level of maturity.
“Equally, when senior leaders set bold strategies, but managers lack the infrastructure or cultural support to execute, progress stalls. Bridging this gap means turning vision into reality: ensuring governance, technology, and talent evolve together so AI moves beyond pilots and delivers measurable business value.”
When organisations lack alignment on AI, projects stall and everyday processes that depend on AI suffer. This misalignment creates unrealistic expectations, slows adoption, and increases the risk of failure. Further findings from the report show this disconnect in more detail:
- Governance: 67% of senior leaders rank their organisation highly (4 or 5) on AI governance, compared to only 46% of mid-level and junior managers.
- Expertise: 59% of senior leaders rate their organisation’s AI expertise highly, yet just 34% of frontline managers agree.
- Culture: When it comes to engagement, how change is communicated, and how feedback on AI is incorporated, 61% of senior leaders say their organisation has a positive AI culture, compared with just 41% of mid‑level and junior managers.
Fiz Yazdi, Managing Director of Sopra Steria Next UK, said:
“Our findings shine a light on the gap between how AI maturity is perceived at senior leadership level and how it’s experienced by those in frontline delivery roles. This disparity is not about technology, it’s about leadership. AI doesn’t fail because organisations lack tools, it fails because leaders haven’t yet learned how to lead with AI.
“From our experience, we know that AI success comes when employees at all levels are empowered to learn and grow. And it stands to reason that this begins at the top. Increasing AI maturity across an organisation’s senior leadership team leads to better investment decisions, improved understanding of risk, and ultimately improved business performance, and services that citizens and customers increasingly expect.”
To find out more about Sopra Steria’s AI Maturity Survey and its free ‘AI for Leaders’ online training click here.