Northern Ireland’s AI Strategy: What SMEs Should Say Now

Northern Ireland now has a draft artificial intelligence strategy, and small and medium-sized businesses are being asked what they think.

That matters. Not because every business owner needs to read a 48-page government document, but because decisions made now could shape the skills, support, infrastructure and rules around AI here for years to come.

The public consultation on Northern Ireland’s draft AI strategy is open until 5pm on 7 October 2026. SMEs are specifically named among the groups the Executive wants to hear from.

Here’s what the strategy is trying to do, what it could mean for local businesses, and what is worth saying before the consultation closes.

What Is Actually Being Proposed?

The draft is primarily a public-sector strategy. It sets out how Northern Ireland’s public bodies should approach AI, rather than introducing new obligations for private businesses.

Its themes include governance, infrastructure and data, skills, public-sector transformation, and public trust. Underneath those sit eight principles: human oversight, accountability and redress, data governance, technical safety and security, fairness and transparency, sustainability, societal benefit, and training and literacy.

That list is sensible. It also reflects something businesses are already discovering: useful AI adoption is not simply a matter of buying a tool. It needs clear ownership, good information, staff who understand the system, and boundaries around what it should and should not do.

The important question is what happens after the principles. Businesses need practical routes from ambition to action.

Why Should an SME Care About a Public-Sector Strategy?

Public policy has a habit of reaching businesses indirectly.

It affects the skills coming into the labour market, the support programmes available, the way public contracts are designed, the standards suppliers are expected to meet, and the quality of digital public services businesses rely on.

If government departments use AI to improve procurement, licensing, grants or business support, that could make everyday interactions quicker. If systems are poorly designed, it could introduce new confusion, less transparency or decisions that are harder to challenge.

There is also a wider economic question. The strategy talks about collaboration between government, industry, academia and citizens. For SMEs, that needs to mean more than being invited to events after the important decisions have already been made.

The Gap Between Using AI and Using It Well

Recent Office for National Statistics analysis shows how quickly AI use is spreading, but also how shallow much of that use remains.

Among UK businesses with ten or more employees, reported use of at least one AI technology rose from roughly 12% in late 2023 to around 35% in June 2026. Yet adopting businesses used an average of only about 1.6 AI technologies, up modestly from 1.4. Only 10% said they used AI extensively.

The same analysis found that smaller businesses can be flexible in how they use AI, including personalising products and services. But lack of expertise and cost continue to delay adoption for some firms, while training existing staff is a much more common response than hiring a new team of specialists.

That is the practical context Northern Ireland’s strategy needs to address. Many SMEs do not need another broad explanation of AI. They need help identifying a valuable use case, testing it safely, training the people involved and measuring whether it worked.

Five Things SMEs Should Look For

1. Support that starts with a business problem

Funding and advice should begin with the work that is slow, repetitive or difficult, not with a predetermined platform. A useful programme helps a business understand the problem before recommending technology.

2. Training for ordinary teams

AI capability cannot sit only with technical specialists. Owners, managers, marketers, administrators and customer-service teams need practical training that relates to their work, their data and the decisions they make.

3. Clear routes into expertise

SMEs should be able to find trusted, impartial help without navigating a maze of programmes. The recently promoted AICC support programme for Northern Ireland SMEs is an example of the sort of hands-on route businesses can use, but the overall support landscape needs to remain visible and easy to understand.

4. Procurement that does not shut smaller suppliers out

If public bodies increase their use of AI, local SMEs should have a fair opportunity to contribute. Requirements must protect citizens and public money without becoming so complex that only the largest vendors can respond.

5. Evidence, not AI theatre

Success should be measured through better services, saved time, reduced errors, improved access or stronger outcomes. The number of pilots launched is not the same as the number of problems solved.

What Could You Say in a Consultation Response?

You do not need to write a policy paper. A short response based on real business experience can be more useful than a page of general support.

Consider answering these questions:

Where could better public-sector technology save your business time?
What stops your team using AI confidently today?
What practical training or advice would make a difference?
Have you struggled to identify a worthwhile AI use case?
What would make you trust an AI-assisted public service or decision?
Could your business supply useful expertise, and what currently makes public procurement difficult?

Specific examples help. If a grant form takes hours, say where it gets stuck. If your team has tried AI but cannot judge the output, explain what support is missing. If you are already using it successfully, describe the guardrails that made that possible.

Our View

Northern Ireland does not need to win an AI hype contest. It needs to become very good at applying AI to genuine problems, with people still accountable for the result.

For SMEs, the opportunity is not abstract. It is less administration, better use of customer information, clearer marketing processes, faster research and more consistent service. But the value appears only when the system is connected to real work and somebody takes responsibility for its quality.

The draft strategy recognises many of the right ingredients: human oversight, skills, data, safety and trust. The consultation is the moment for Northern Ireland businesses to push for delivery that is practical, accessible and measurable.

If SMEs stay quiet, the final strategy may still mention them. It is less likely to reflect what they actually need.

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Sources and further reading: Northern Ireland’s draft AI strategy consultation · Respond to the consultation · ONS: Artificial intelligence in UK businesses, 2023 to 2026