Google released its AI Works report on April 25, 2025, revealing the UK could gain £400bn worth of economic growth from AI-powered innovation, with £200bn of predicted gains dependent on workforce AI adoption and productive usage. President Debbie Weinstein highlighted that two-thirds (66%) of workers, particularly older women and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, have never used generative AI at work, creating an adoption gap where women over 55 are four times less likely to use AI than men under 35.
The AI Works pilot explored experiences of 1,700 people across public and private sectors in organisations of all sizes, partnering with unions, small businesses, and educators from 15 schools across the UK to trial different upskilling methods. The initiative builds on over a decade of digital skills training reaching more than 1 million Brits through Google's established programmes.
Key findings demonstrate AI habits form easily, with just a few hours of training doubling daily AI usage while maintaining high usage months after pilots. Workers seek "permission to prompt," requiring reassurance that AI use is allowed and comparable to using internet or search engines for task efficiency. AI adoption saves significant time, with workers across different sectors estimating generative AI saves roughly over 122 hours annually, exceeding modelled estimates of 100 hours per year.
Upskilling significantly narrows AI adoption gaps among underrepresented groups. Before training, only 17% of women aged 55+ used AI weekly and 9% used it daily. Three months later, 56% were using it weekly and 29% had made it a daily habit, demonstrating training's effectiveness across all population segments.
Google evolves its Google Digital Garage programme in response to findings, launching a new interactive "AI Prompting Essentials" webinar building on existing AI upskilling resources including the New Fundamentals series. The company extends AI Works partnerships by rolling out pilot resources to all UK-based schools in the Google for Education network and expanding partnerships with Enterprise Nation and Community Union.
The report reveals smaller business AI usage lags significantly behind larger organisations, highlighting the need for targeted support across different business sizes. Google recommends government guarantee AI training and access to AI tools for all public sector workers, positioning the public sector to lead adoption efforts. The Industrial Strategy should support AI adoption across key industries as outlined in the AI Opportunities Action Plan.
Google advocates for a Skills England-backed accreditation system recognising short and effective AI upskilling courses to create lifelong learning culture. The significant time savings of 122 hours annually per worker demonstrate measurable productivity benefits from AI implementation. The findings show AI adoption requires systematic training approaches rather than leaving adoption to chance, emphasizing the need for coordinated upskilling efforts across organisations and government initiatives.