AI is Reinforcing the Value of Face-to-Face Meetings, New UK Research Finds

Artificial intelligence may be transforming the modern workplace, but new research suggests it is also increasing, rather than reducing, the need for in-person meetings and human collaboration.

Commissioned by The Meetings Show, the newly released UK Productivity Gap Index reveals that nearly two-thirds of UK business leaders (62%) believe AI is creating a greater need for human discussion, alignment and decision-making across organisations.

The study, developed in partnership with The Business of Events and building on Northstar Travel Group’s PULSE Survey, surveyed 1,000 UK business leaders to better understand how collaboration challenges are impacting organisational productivity.

While AI adoption continues to accelerate, many organisations are simultaneously experiencing new layers of operational complexity. More than one-third of respondents (36%) said AI has already had a major or significant impact on operations, while a further 30% reported moderate disruption.

Against this backdrop, face-to-face interaction continues to play a critical role in business performance. According to the research, 65% of leaders said complex or sensitive decisions are made faster in person — a figure that rises to 82% when it comes to strategically important decisions.

The findings also point to a growing productivity challenge across UK organisations. On average, managers report losing 3.9 hours every week due to delayed or unclear decision-making — the equivalent of 202 working hours or 25 working days annually.

Half of business leaders surveyed said projects regularly stall because decisions take too long, while 47% noted meetings often conclude without clear outcomes. A further 43% said teams frequently revisit decisions that should already have been resolved.

Rather than signalling a lack of effort, the report suggests the issue lies in organisational alignment. Respondents estimate that poor collaboration reduces productivity by an average of 14%, with one in four leaders believing the impact exceeds 20%.

The research also reflects the evolving realities of hybrid work. While 59% of respondents believe knowledge-sharing has improved since the pandemic, half also feel hybrid working is slowing the development of early-career professionals, highlighting the ongoing challenge organisations face in balancing flexibility with effective collaboration.

A spokesperson for The Business of Events said: “This research highlights a fundamental shift in how productivity challenges are emerging across UK organisations. It is no longer simply about how hard people work, but how effectively teams align, make decisions and move work forward.

“As organisations adopt AI and more flexible ways of working, the need for clarity and shared understanding becomes more important, not less. Without that alignment, technology can accelerate activity, but not necessarily progress. What this study shows is that collaboration, particularly when it brings people together to resolve complexity, plays a critical role in how businesses perform.”

Jack Marczewski (on the right), Portfolio Event Director at The Meetings Show, added: “We wanted this research to reflect how work actually happens inside organisations today. It shows very clearly that productivity isn’t just about tools or effort. It’s about how well teams align, make decisions and move work forward.

“As AI becomes more embedded in the workplace, the need for clear, confident decision-making becomes even more important. Bringing people together in the right environment is a big part of that. We’re looking forward to exploring these findings in more depth at the show and working with the industry to help organisations tackle some of these challenges.”

The findings will be explored further during The Meetings Show, taking place at ExCeL London from 24–25 June 2026, co-located with Business Travel Show Europe and TravelTech Show.
 

To download the UK Productivity Gap Index, please visit the website
 

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