UK risks missing out on £200bn boost from slow take-up of AI, warns Google
The boss of Google's UK and European operations has issued a 'call to arms' over a worrying gap in the UK's adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) that could leave Britain at risk of missing out on a £200 billion boost to the economy.
New research from the tech giant suggests that two-thirds of workers (66%) in Britain have never used generative AI in their jobs, with usage particularly low among women over 55 and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
The firm said that while AI has the potential to add £400 billion to Britain's economy by the end of the decade through enhanced productivity, only half of this will be realised if the UK does not plug the adoption gap.
Debbie Weinstein, president of Google in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, told the PA news agency the group's report was a 'call to arms… to make sure we're providing the tools that workers need for the UK'.
She said: 'Addressing this adoption gap is essential to realising the economic benefits and the benefits in terms of time savings.'
' More needs to be done,' she cautioned.
Google said that while many countries are slow to adopt AI in everyday life, the UK has historically trailed behind other countries in its adoption of new technology.
In its AI Works report, it said: ' History shows this pattern recurring worldwide through successive waves of technology.
'But the challenge has been particularly pronounced in the UK, where a gap between innovation and implementation has repeatedly undermined economic potential.'
'Given AI's extraordinary economic potential, this long-tail pattern of adoption risks delaying productivity and compromising long-term growth,' it added.
The company's study – conducted by research group Public First – found that AI adoption is being held back by a lack of accredited bite-sized training courses, as well as a failure by companies to provide official guidance on its use in the workplace.
The survey of more than 3,100 respondents found that 70% of workers chose to use AI tools on their own rather than being asked to by their managers or employers, with just over a fifth (22%) being encouraged to do so by their employers, down from 28% six months ago.
'AI adoption is largely happening without official workplace guidance,' the firm said.
Google is calling on the Government to use its industrial strategy to 'set out how AI adoption can be best supported in key industries'.
'Our research shows that workers are looking for explicit permission and guardrails on what they can, and are encouraged to, use AI for.'
It also urged the new arms-length government body, Skills England, to support an accreditation system for short and effective training courses.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: '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.'
Google has been running a pilot with small firms in the UK to help increase the take-up of AI, using behavioural science to help drive the programme, while also working with school academies and the Community Union.
It is planning on rolling out AI Works pilots to other countries, such as Germany.
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