Workers using AI could save 122 hours a year and boost the economy by £200 billion, says Google

Growth driven by artificial intelligence could benefit the UK economy by £400 billion, but £200 billion of the gains depend on workers using AI productively, according a new report by Google.

Analysis of the company's AI Works pilot showed two thirds of workers, particularly older women from lower socio-economic backgrounds, have never used generative AI at work. Google said females over 55 are four times less likely to use AI than men under 35, and use by smaller businesses lags behind larger firms.

The report said that when AI is adopted by workforces it has significant benefits, with workers who are using generative AI estimating that it is saving them around 122 hours a year.

Upskilling significantly narrows AI adoption gaps, the study said. Before AI training, only 17% of women aged 55+ used AI weekly, and just 9% used it daily. Three months later, 56% were using it weekly, and 29% had made it a daily habit.

AI use at small and medium businesses

Analysis of a small and medium-sized business-focused pilot, in partnership with Enterprise Nation, showed confidence in AI is high among workers, but adoption is low and usage is infrequent, partly due to small business owners lacking the capacity to deliver AI training themselves.

Following tailored training for small businesses, the number of workers making daily use of AI doubled from 29% to 60%. Google found that workers repeatedly said that being trained on relevant use cases of AI was key to increasing their usage.

To unlock AI powered economic growth across the UK, Google said every business need to get on board with the government's industrial strategy supporting AI adoption across key industries

It also called on the government to guarantee AI training and access to AI tools for all public sector workers, and create a Skills England-backed accreditation system that recognises short and effective AI upskilling courses.

Google EMEA president, Debbie Weinstein, said:

"AI will power one of the most transformative shifts of our generation, so we can't afford to leave the UK's adoption of this pivotal technology to chance. Our AI Works pilots show the big impact that a short time spent upskilling can have on narrowing the adoption gap.

"We want these pilots to encourage more leaders to act now and seize this opportunity to equip everyone with the skills needed to unlock economic growth and change ways of working for the better. AI adoption needs to be strategic and intentional, to enable everyone to reap the technology's benefits."

Technology secretary Peter Kyle said:

"AI is a generation-defining technology which will unlock growth, deliver new jobs, and make our public services fit for the modern age -- that's why we've given it a leading role in driving our Plan for Change.

"We will support workers to develop the skills they need for jobs in and with AI, so that all parts of society can benefit from this technology. As part of that, our AI Opportunities Action Plan will see us work closely with Skills England on a range of initiatives, including building a detailed picture of the gaps in our talent pool and working with training providers and industry to fill them.

"Programmes like Google's AI Works pilot will be vital in supporting our plan to give workers the tools they need to harness the technology with confidence, preparing our economy, our businesses, and our citizens to thrive in the age of AI."

Emma Jones, founder and CEO of Enterprise Nation, said:

"AI Works has brilliantly demonstrated the power and expertise that the private sector can offer in upskilling the nation's SME community in the digital space. There is a window of opportunity to build on this work to shape and deliver a high-aspiration national programme of support to equip SMEs with AI tools, skills and guidelines to boost confidence and productivity.

"The path to widespread digital adoption and AI use remains critical to our economy. Google's work in this area is compelling and we're proud that Enterprise Nation is a key strategic delivery partner, offering our community an early opportunity to take part in the pilot - and all the advantages that it has delivered."

Related resources

Get AI advice at Google Digital Garage events across the UK

Access technology advice, tips and tools via Enterprise Nation's Tech Hub

How government and business can partner to drive AI small business adoption