It would seem there’s a mentorship crisis in the UK, and it’s causing UK business leaders to embrace artificial intelligence as their primary source of professional guidance.

New research reveals that AI has overtaken human mentors in daily use - even if confidence in its advice remains low. The Adaptavist Group, surveyed 300 UK business leaders, with 90% saying they believe there is a significant mentorship gap in UK business. This shortage is driving a fundamental shift in how leaders seek guidance, with four out of five (80%) having used generative AI as a business mentor at least once, and a quarter (26%) now relying on it daily.

The human element tells a concerning story. Just 16% of leaders turn to a person for business advice on a daily basis,10% fewer than those using AI. Perhaps more troubling, a third (32%) have received human mentorship only once or twice in their entire career, while a further 26% have experienced it just a handful of times.

Despite the concerning context driving its adoption, AI mentorship is delivering tangible business benefits. According to respondents, 59% report that AI has improved their operations, while 35% credit it with helping their business grow. Looking ahead, 62% view AI as a worthwhile investment and 82% believing it will accelerate future business growth.

While AI may be filling a gap left by absent human mentors, these results prove it’s becoming more than just a stopgap solution.

However, widespread adoption also masks a significant skills gap. Nearly half (47%) of UK business leaders admit they have taught themselves how to use generative AI but lack confidence in their abilities. This self-directed learning approach reflects the broader training deficit in the field.

The scale of the training gap is substantial: 70% of leaders have received no formal training on AI tools, relying entirely on self-taught methods. 89% express a desire for additional training to maximise AI’s potential, indicating both the appetite for improvement and the recognition of current limitations.

The situation is compounded by social pressure, with 38% of leaders admitting they would feel embarrassed to acknowledge they don’t know how to use AI tools effectively.

Barriers to Broader Adoption

While 62% of business leaders use AI daily or more frequently, several barriers persist. Security concerns top the list, cited by 56% of respondents. It is unsurprising given ongoing reports of AI hallucinations and data harvesting.

Cost presents another significant challenge, with one-third identifying it as their biggest obstacle. Interestingly, ethical considerations also play a role, with 23% citing moral objections and 20% expressing environmental concerns about AI adoption.

These findings present both opportunities and challenges for HR professionals and business leaders. The mentorship gap represents a fundamental failure in leadership development that business would do well to address. While AI is proving valuable in filling this void, it cannot entirely replace human guidance, particularly for complex interpersonal and strategic challenges.

Simon Haighton-Williams, CEO at The Adaptavist Group, emphasises that successful AI integration requires more than technological investment: "Keir Starmer recently said we must ’mainline AI into the UK’s veins’, but that ambition demands more than investment in technology - it requires investment in people on every rung of the business leadership ladder."

The research highlights that while AI is proving valuable in addressing the mentorship crisis, success requires deliberate investment in both technology and people. The rise of the ’robo-mentor’ may be inevitable, but its success depends on ensuring leaders have both the confidence and competence to use the tools at hand effectively.