Britain Could Gain £400 Billion from AI-Driven Growth, Says Google

Artificial Intelligence could add £400 billion to the UK economy, says Google.

Google's AI Pilot Programs Reveal Massive Economic Potential

The United Kingdom could unlock £400 billion (approximately $533 billion) in economic growth through artificial intelligence, according to a new report by Google. The tech giant’s findings come after pilot programs demonstrated that workers could save more than 120 hours annually by using AI for administrative tasks.

Simple AI Training Can Double Adoption Rates

Google's report, released on Friday, emphasizes that basic steps—such as allowing employees to use AI tools and providing just a few hours of training—could significantly increase the use of AI in the workplace. This, in turn, could fuel substantial economic growth.

According to research by Public First, Google’s partner in the study, many workers—especially older women from lower socio-economic backgrounds—had never interacted with generative AI in their jobs before the pilot programs.

“Permission to Prompt”: A Key Psychological Barrier

Debbie Weinstein, Google’s President for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, highlighted a major obstacle: many employees were unsure if using AI at work was acceptable.

“People wanted ‘permission to prompt,’” Weinstein explained. “‘Is it okay for me to be doing this?’ And so giving them that reassurance was really important.”

Once reassured and given a few hours of hands-on AI training, these workers doubled their use of AI tools—and most continued using them months after the pilot ended.

AI Training Drives Long-Term Engagement

The pilot programs were run across a variety of organizations, including small business networks, educational trusts, and unions. Results showed that workers saved an average of 122 hours per year by using AI in their daily administrative tasks.

Dramatic Shift in AI Usage Among Older Women

Before receiving training, only 17% of women over the age of 55 in the program used AI tools on a weekly basis, and just 9% used them daily. However, just three months later, weekly usage had jumped to 56%, and daily usage reached 29%.

Bridging the AI Gap

Google’s "AI Works" report concludes that small, targeted interventions can effectively close the gap in AI adoption. By empowering more people to use this technology confidently, the UK stands to gain tremendously in terms of productivity and economic growth.

Labels: Artificial Intelligence, UK Economy, Google AI, Tech News, Workforce Training