Unlocking Britain’s next era of productivity: Building a nation of AI trailblazers

Google UK shares its latest Economic Impact Report and how to enable more people to unlock the benefits of AI-powered technologies.

Kate Alessi Vice President and Managing Director, Google UK & Ireland Share x.com Facebook LinkedIn Mail Copy link The UK’s AI adoption: fast, but uneven We’ve worked with Public First on one of the most comprehensive UK AI adoption studies to date. The research reveals that workplace AI adoption has doubled in the past year, (up to 73%, from 34% in 2025). Yet, this momentum reveals an uneven adoption curve, where only a minority – the top 15% – are significantly more likely to report promotions, pay rises and faster career progression. Our analysis reveals that AI usage is a spectrum, with most of the UK’s workforce still stuck in early-stage adoption. We’ve segmented the workforce into four progressive stages: The UK’s AI Trailblazers are creating a new benchmark for modern work and saving almost 8 hours across both their personal and professional lives – effectively gaining an extra day each working week. The research found that even after accounting for differences in age, sector, gender, ethnicity, education and business size, deeper AI use is associated with greater professional momentum. Trailblazers are: But, this deeper AI use is unevenly spread across age groups, genders and geographical location. The longer we wait to take action the more that this gap will grow. The good news is that these disparities are entirely addressable. Reaching this advanced level doesn’t require deep technical knowledge or coding expertise. Anyone can become a Trailblazer. The real challenge is converting everyday experimentation into a level of AI literacy that unlocks career progression and, in turn, nationwide economic growth. So, how do we help the other 85% unlock these benefits? The barriers holding people back are surprisingly easy to overcome, with collective focus. They are, for the most part, either behavioral, cognitive or organisational: Levelling up starts with knowing where you stand.