Archive · 16 Sep 2026
UK Workers Spend Nearly £1 Billion on Workplace AI
Many workers in the UK are using artificial intelligence to help with their jobs.
Some workers are even paying for these tools themselves.
Deloitte estimates that this adds up to almost £1 billion each year.
About two-thirds of workers surveyed had tried an AI tool.
Nearly one in four uses AI every day at work.
Common tasks include finding information, writing emails and making summaries.
These tasks save about 70 minutes a week on average.
Some workers use AI without telling their employers.
Deloitte says companies should help workers use AI safely and for useful purposes.
One in six UK workers pays for an AI tool to help with their job, costing nearly £1 billion annually.
Deloitte found that two-thirds of workers had tried tools including ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini or Microsoft Copilot.
Nearly one-quarter of surveyed workers use generative AI daily, while 31% use it without their employer’s knowledge.
The most common uses are information searches, email drafting and summaries, saving workers an average of 70 minutes weekly.
Deloitte says organizations should move beyond tool access and provide guidance, guardrails and clear purposes for AI use.
- Who
- UK workers, surveyed by Ipsos for Deloitte; Deloitte officials Hayley McKelvey and Paul Lee commented on the findings.
- What
- Workers are rapidly adopting generative AI for workplace tasks, with many paying for tools themselves.
- When
- The research was published on Wednesday, September 16; it reports annual costs and current usage patterns.
- Where
- The United Kingdom.
- Why
- Workers are using AI to help complete tasks such as information searches, email drafting and summarizing, while Deloitte says organizations need appropriate guidance and guardrails.
Worker-led AI adoption
Employer-guided AI use
Access to AI tools
Worker-led AI adoption
Workers are adopting AI quickly, using free tools or paying for premium versions rather than waiting for employer-provided access.
Employer-guided AI use
Deloitte says organizations should focus on helping employees use AI with appropriate guardrails and a clear purpose, not merely provide access.
Current workplace uses
Worker-led AI adoption
Workers commonly use AI for information searches, drafting emails and creating summaries, which save time.
Employer-guided AI use
Deloitte partner Paul Lee said AI’s role remains relatively basic for many workers instead of supporting more complex work.
- Estimated annual worker spending
- Nearly £1 billion on AI tools for work
- Workers trying AI
- Two-thirds of surveyed workers
- Daily workplace use
- Nearly one-quarter of surveyed workers
- Self-funded use
- 17% pay for at least one generative AI tool themselves
- Undisclosed use
- 31% use generative AI without their employers’ knowledge
- Average time saved
- 70 minutes per week
- Survey sample
- 25,000 workers surveyed by Ipsos for Deloitte