Responsible innovation in 2026 should prioritise AI governance and trusted data

UK business investment in AI is expected to rise about 40% over the next two years, and organisations are shifting from experimentation to responsible AI adoption, emphasising data integrity, governance and integrated channels to maintain trust and measurable outcomes.

B2B marketing and wider business operations are moving beyond pure speed and scale toward responsibility and trust. Organisations face tighter budgets, longer sales cycles and higher customer expectations, which has pushed AI from experimental use into everyday workflows. UK business investment in AI is reported to rise by about 40% over the next two years, and leaders increasingly emphasise governance, data integrity and cross-team collaboration. At the same time, research cited in the article shows growing cyber-risk concern and rising consumer emphasis on brand trust. Key facts: - UK business investment in AI is reported to rise by an average of about 40% over the next two years. - AI is embedded in marketing and operations, supporting tasks from content planning and SEO to lead scoring and predictive maintenance. - The article reports that 78% of CISOs say AI-powered cyber-threats are already having a significant impact on their organisations. - In the UK, research cited shows 67% of consumers consider brand trust essential to purchase decisions. - The piece highlights a shift toward integrated channel strategies and closer collaboration between marketing, sales and product teams. Summary: The article presents responsible AI adoption, strong data integrity and unified channel strategies as central to performance in 2026, noting both opportunity and risk in broader AI use. Undetermined at this time.