UK small businesses are spending big on Anthropic — but OpenAI isn't far behind as expenditure on AI tools hits new high

An estimated 1 out of every 8 UK small and medium businesses are paying for AI tools Over 28% of SMEs are using two or more AI platforms Publishing is the main UK sector adopting AI British SMEs are moving toward AI solutions, with adoption increasing from 1.1% in 2023 to 12.8% in 2026, new research has claimed. The study, by small business credit card providers Capital on Tap, also shows that while smaller companies may have more modest budgets, they’re still happy to spread their bets when it comes to choosing an AI solution. Over 28% of SMEs are using multiple AI platforms – with Anthropic’s Claude just edging out OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with the average quarterly spend growing to a quarterly average of £75.60 per SME.