UK Firms Unprepared For AI According To Latest Research

Ninety-three per cent of scale-up founders do not believe the UK workforce is adequately prepared for widespread AI adoption, according to new research from Helm, Britain's largest entrepreneur network.

When 400 members of Helm were asked in an online survey: ‘Do you believe the UK workforce is adequately prepared for widespread AI adoption?’ 3.5 per cent said ‘yes’, 93 per cent said ‘no’, and 3.5 per cent said ‘don’t know’.

The survey, carried out between February 5-6, also asked: ‘Do you expect AI adoption to lead to job cuts in your business within the next 12 months?’ 33 per cent said ‘yes’, 64 per cent said ‘no’, and 3 per cent said ‘don’t know’.

Asked: ‘Are you delaying or reducing new hires as a result of increased AI adoption?’ 58 per cent said ‘yes’, 35 per cent said ‘no’, and seven per cent said ‘don’t know’.

Andreas Adamides, CEO of Helm, said: “AI is forcing business leaders to make some difficult decisions about jobs and hiring. Many founders are under pressure to move fast, stay competitive, and rethink roles as automation accelerates."

“The bigger opportunity now is to upskill workers for higher-value roles and use AI to drive sustainable growth."

"If businesses and policymakers invest in skills early, AI can become a powerful engine for productivity rather than job insecurity.”

Helm member, Joshua Wöhle, Founder and CEO of AI training company, Mindstone, said: “AI has the potential to be transformational for British business, but the skills gap is making people focus on automation, which is where technology has historically made a difference, instead of augmentation, where generative AI really can make a difference."

“Automation leads to job losses versus augmentation that moves the top line. Ultimately, this comes down to training.”

The average Helm member is the founder of a company with an annual turnover of £21 million.