European firms rush AI without clear outcomes, Rebura finds

Rebura has published research showing that only a quarter of European businesses have fully defined outcomes for their AI initiatives. The survey also found that 37% say executive mandates are the main driver of AI activity.

The study covered 300 organisations in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain that are actively pursuing AI projects. It found that only 27% of AI initiatives reach production, while 58% of respondents described their delivery approach as ad-hoc experimentation and 29% said they follow a structured AI lifecycle.

Almost one in five organisations, or 19%, said they have no clearly defined outcomes for their AI initiatives. The findings point to a gap between board-level pressure to adopt AI and the planning needed to measure whether projects deliver business results.

Readiness gap

The research also identified a divide between smaller businesses and larger companies. Just 14% of small and medium-sized businesses said their data is ready for AI, compared with 36% of enterprises.

Smaller businesses also reported greater difficulty in other areas. Among SMBs, 58% cited security and compliance as a problem, while 46% pointed to poor data quality.

Across organisations of all sizes, security and compliance was the most common challenge during deployment and when companies tried to scale AI projects after launch. This suggests governance issues continue well beyond the initial implementation stage.

The data also indicates that technical adoption is not the only obstacle. Planning, governance, data preparation and operating processes remain central issues for businesses trying to move AI projects from trials into day-to-day use.

Aaron Rees, Chief Executive Officer at Rebura, said the findings show many organisations are focusing too heavily on the technology itself.

He said: "The conversation around AI often focuses on the technology itself, but our research suggests the bigger challenge lies elsewhere. Organisations are under increasing pressure to demonstrate progress on AI, yet many are doing so before they have clearly defined the outcomes they are trying to achieve. The real value comes from combining technology with the right governance, data foundations and operational discipline. Businesses that treat AI as a business transformation initiative rather than a standalone technology project will be far better placed to move beyond experimentation and achieve lasting results."

The survey was conducted by Coleman Parkes on behalf of Rebura and drew responses from small, mid-market and enterprise organisations across five European markets. Respondents worked across 11 sectors, including technology, professional services, financial services, manufacturing and healthcare.

On average, the organisations surveyed had 2,494 employees and annual revenue of GBP £3.27 billion. The respondent group included senior technology and transformation leaders such as Heads of IT Operations, Heads of Digital Transformation and Heads of IT Infrastructure.

The results add to a broader debate in the UK and Europe over whether businesses are moving into AI too quickly under competitive and boardroom pressure, even when they have not agreed on what a successful outcome should look like. In Rebura's survey, the limited share of projects reaching production and the high level of ad-hoc experimentation underscore that concern.