UK skills push could unlock £80 billion from AI

Financial modelling by the Learning and Work Institute and The Rigby Foundation found that comprehensive AI upskilling could deliver an economy-wide productivity boost of 2.3% by 2035. The work concludes that stronger investment in skills could generate a £80 billion boost to the UK economy, with the country well placed to adopt and scale AI if employers improve workforce training.

A YouGov survey found that 85% of organizations currently use AI in some capacity, but only 18% use it extensively within operations. Larger firms are ahead, with 25% using AI extensively, compared with 11% of small businesses. A quarter of small businesses have yet to adopt AI at all, compared with 3% of large enterprises.

The UK government has already announced plans to train 10 million people in AI by 2030, including basic workplace uses such as drafting text, creating content, and completing administrative tasks. Researchers are calling for a Skills Tax Credit offering 20p for every £1 spent on accredited training, alongside a 30p ‘AI super-rate’ until 2030 and a dedicated AI Skills Intelligence Unit.