Most jobs in the UK will be enhanced by AI with only a small minority of roles being axed, according to new Google-commissioned research.
The study by thinktank Public First suggested that 61% of British jobs would be transformed by AI, while just 31% would be largely unchanged by the technology.
These “insulated” jobs would be in food services, transport, social care and hospitality where varied physical tasks were achievable only by human workers, Public First said.
Google is partnering with the Community union, the small-business network Enterprise Nation, and two multi-academy trusts to investigate the best ways of introducing AI technology into workplaces in a scheme called AI Works.
According to Debbie Weinstein, Google UK managing director, the transition to using AI tools was still slow. “Fewer than 50% of people are actually taking advantage of these tools in their working life on a day-to-day basis,” she said. “The uptake of these tools is very low, and I think the only way we’re going to unlock the potential of what AI can do is actually by getting people to use them, and to feel confident and capable about them.”
Weinstein added this first-of-its-kind initiative will shape and test different approaches involving almost 1,500 people. “It will aim to encourage more Brits to get working with AI,” she said.
Additional research from Public First revealed the early signs of an AI uptake gap with fewer women, older people and people with less formal education being likely to use generative AI tools at work, regardless of their roles. Google said closing this divide was “crucial to enabling everyone to benefit from the opportunities created by this fast-evolving technology”.
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Public First estimated that only a small proportion of roles would be fully “phased out” by the introduction of AI, with even the most affected sector, financial and insurance, likely to lose just 4% of jobs, with 83% “enhanced” instead.
Minister for AI, Feryal Clark MP, said the government supported the AI Works trial: “Speeding up the diffusion of AI throughout our economy will be key to kickstarting growth, transforming our public services, and delivering new opportunities for working people across the country.”
Supported by researchers from Public First, the AI Works programme will explore the potential for collective peer learning, habit formation and building trust to develop AI skills; insight and learnings from the programme shared with business leaders, policymakers and third parties.
Community general secretary Roy Rickhuss said: “As a modern trade union, our priority is supporting our members through this change – ensuring change works well for working people.
He added: “We need to empower and support them with the AI skills they will increasingly need.” The partnership with Google would provide valuable training to Community members and “offer crucial insight into how best we can upskill and support workers across the UK to harness the potential of AI,” he said.
Weinstein said AI represented “an unparalleled opportunity to transform the world of work”, adding that previous research from Public First revealed that setting up Britain’s workforce for success could unlock over £400bn in AI-powered economic growth by 2030.
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The Community union – the smallest of the TUC general unions – represents workers in an array of sectors, including iron and steel, justice and custodial, domestic appliance manufacturing, textiles and footwear, road transport, betting, the third sector, education and early years, as well as the self-employed.
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