New research shows many UK small businesses are still not taking full advantage of AI, despite clear confidence and productivity gains, and time back. Square AI is designed to close that gap.
Square announced the UK launch of Square AI, a free, conversational AI assistant built directly into the Square platform to help businesses of all sizes make clearer, faster decisions using their own business data.
UK businesses are using AI, but still losing time to data and admin. Square AI is designed to give that time back.
The launch follows new research commissioned by Square, which shows that while more than half (53%) of UK SMEs have used AI in their business, only 30% use it regularly. This low level of adoption is leaving many businesses experimenting without seeing value, or not yet taking advantage of AI at all.
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The research found that UK businesses rely heavily on instinct to run their operations: 51% of SME owners describe themselves as instinct-led, compared with just 19% who rely on data to make decisions. Combining gut feel with data is the secret sauce for businesses, however: almost three in four (74%) UK SME owners say they feel more confident when instinct is combined with insight.
“Across our markets, we’re already seeing businesses use Square AI to get clearer on their performance, make faster decisions, and spend less time buried in reports,” said Willem Avé, Global Head of Product at Square. “Businesses generate enormous amounts of data every day through payments and commerce. For a long time, turning that data into real insight has been something reserved for larger organisations with analysts and operations teams. Square AI levels the playing field by bringing powerful analytics into the flow of running a business, through a simple, conversational AI assistant. It enables businesses of every size to combine their instinct with real data, without complexity.”
Because Square brings together payments, sales, and day-to-day business operations in one place, it already has a uniquely clear, unified view of how businesses run. Square AI is built to work across that existing ecosystem, helping businesses turn the information they already rely on into clearer insight, without needing separate tools, integrations, or manual analysis.
Square AI is a free tool built directly into Square’s platform, making it simpler and more cost-friendly to adopt advanced AI tools. Already in use by several UK businesses during early access, Square AI is helping operators get rapid answers from their vast datasets, and spend less time pulling reports. The tech provides:
- Deeper, context-aware business insight, combining a seller’s own data with relevant local information such as weather, events, and neighbourhood trends (for example, the impact of a wet weekend or a local football match) to inform staffing, inventory, and promotions;
- Natural, conversational interaction, allowing business owners to ask questions in everyday language (such as how sales compare to last year or which items are selling best) and get instant answers without digging through reports or dashboards;
- Real time insights on business performance, with AI-generated charts and views that can be pinned so key trends are always visible (for example, daily takings, peak trading hours, or week-on-week performance);
- Conversation history, enabling owners to revisit previous questions and continue exploring insights over time (such as tracking whether a staffing change or promotion made a difference);
- Mobile access, so insights and answers are available on the Square Dashboard app (whether owners are on the shop floor, between tables, or away from the business).
UK businesses are time poor, but are being forced to spend more time than they need analysing data (4.3 hours per week) and running admin and reporting (2.3 hours).
Freeing up that time would be crucial for businesses. When asked how they’d spend time given back, respondents said they’d focus on improving their work-life balance (37.2%); find ways to market or promote their business (36.2%); explore new ideas or focus on business growth (35.0%); and spend more time building relationships with customers (32.4%). The research underlines that the real value of AI is not just about doing less, it’s about giving business owners time back to spend on whatever is most important to them.
“UK businesses are operating in a tough environment right now, with rising costs, staffing pressure, and little margin for wasted time,” said John O’Beirne, CEO and Executive Director of Square International. “Where Square AI comes in is backing everyday decisions with clarity and confidence, while giving owners meaningful time back each week to focus on what matters most: their customers and their success. It’s built to feel practical, familiar, and trustworthy, because that’s what UK businesses need to keep moving forward.”
One UK business that has been using Square AI during early access is Brickwood Coffee & Bread, an Aussie-inspired, multi-location, South London-based cafe.
“[Square AI] is really useful for owner-operators, because it gives you quick answers to straightforward questions,” said Jayke Mangion, owner of Brickwood. “Whether it’s: ‘how many croissants did we sell last week?’ or ‘how did revenue compare to this day last year?’, you can get the insights instantly and can make decisions faster.”
Square’s research also shows UK businesses respond best to AI when it is positioned as a practical assistant rather than abstract technology. 53% agree AI helps them make more informed decisions, 43% say it could help them understand their business data more easily, and 41% say they want an assistant that digs into their data and identifies opportunities while they focus on what matters most.
Square AI uses everyday, conversational language to help business owners get answers from their data, with no training or technical setup required.
At the same time, trust remains a key barrier. 40.6% of UK SME owners say they do not trust AI to make recommendations without oversight, and 42% say clearer information about how their data is used would increase their comfort. Built directly into Square’s established commerce platform, Square AI offers a familiar and transparent entry point into AI for businesses already trusting Square with payments and operations.
Adoption is strongest in sectors like food and beverage, where businesses are already leaning into AI to improve operations, service, and day-to-day decision making.
Square AI is free for UK sellers to use and works inside the tools they already rely on, supporting everyday decisions without replacing human judgement.
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