Only 14% of social housing providers surveyed say over half their staff use AI regularly, despite 59% reporting widespread access, Housemark has found.
The data and benchmarking provider said its research identified a gap between access to AI tools and adoption across the sector.
The findings are published in its report, Beyond the Hype: What AI Adoption Really Looks Like in Social Housing. The research was based on 66 responses from housing associations, local authorities, and arm’s-length management organisations (ALMOs).
Some 59% of respondents said all or most staff have access to AI tools, but only 14% said more than half of staff use AI regularly.
A total of 38% said AI use depends largely on individual teams, while 23% described adoption as informal and lacking clear guidance.
Only seven respondents (11%) said they had a formal AI strategy in place. A further 27 are developing one, and 15 are planning one.
John Wickenden, research manager at Housemark, said: “One of the clearest messages from this research is that access does not automatically lead to adoption. Many housing providers have taken the important first step of making AI tools available, but meaningful value is only realised when colleagues are confident using them and understand how they fit into their day-to-day roles.
“The organisations seeing the most consistent adoption are often focusing on people, capability, and training alongside technology. Creating the right conditions for AI to be used confidently, responsibly, and consistently across an organisation is just as important as providing access to the tools themselves.”
The report also covers how organisations are using AI in practice, the benefits providers are seeing, the barriers to wider adoption, and issues of governance and readiness.
Image credit: Housemark
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