BT Business has launched a portfolio of AI tools for UK businesses, led by an AI Receptionist that handles customer calls around the clock, as the operator positions itself in the small-business AI services market.

The new range, branded AI from BT, includes the call-handling product plus a free AI Adoption Hub offering practical guidance for businesses starting out with the technology.

BT's own research underpins the commercial case. The operator found that 65% of small business owners believe AI could significantly benefit their business, yet 56% admit they are not yet making full use of it. The more pressing number for BT's pitch: 67% of small businesses say they miss at least one call on an average day that they believe results in lost business. BT estimates unanswered calls cost small businesses £3.7 billion in revenue each year.

The AI Receptionist is designed to answer routine enquiries, schedule appointments, send confirmations and capture information from customer conversations. It integrates with Outlook and Google Calendar. The product works across UK fixed and mobile networks, so businesses keep their existing telephone numbers and systems rather than migrating to a new platform.

BT also made a data privacy commitment, stating that customer data will remain private and will not be used to train AI models — a positioning point aimed at UK businesses wary of feeding conversational data into third-party model training.

The launch fits a broader pattern among European operators seeking revenue beyond connectivity, monetising AI-assisted services for small and medium-sized customers who lack in-house technical capacity.

BT Business CEO Jon James framed the portfolio as an answer to an adoption gap. "AI has the potential to be a huge boost to small businesses and to drive the UK's growth, but many businesses are struggling to know how to begin and how to adopt simply and securely," he said. "That's why BT – the UK's most trusted network for business – has created AI from BT: a portfolio of practical, secure AI solutions backed by BT's expertise and support."

The "most trusted network" claim is BT's own marketing assertion rather than an independent measure.

Michelle Ovens, founder and CEO of Small Business Britain, backed the launch, pointing to the strain on lean teams. "Small businesses can often feel they are fighting a losing battle, having to cover everything from finance and HR to marketing with limited headcount," she said.

"AI can be an incredible help, and when utilised correctly, it is a cost-effective and fast way of managing the front line of customer service. We know that time-poor customers want quick resolutions, and when businesses can't provide this, revenue is lost. For small businesses, that can be the difference between being able to grow and expand, or not," Ovens added.

BT has not disclosed pricing for the AI Receptionist or subscriber targets for the portfolio, so the commercial traction of the launch will only become clear as UK small businesses decide whether an operator-branded AI front desk beats the growing field of independent alternatives.