The AI revolution: reskilling for a thriving UK economy

With one in five UK adults using Generative AI (GenAI) weekly, this revolution brings great promise. AI agents can reduce waiting lists, accelerate planning and personalise services, creating prosperity and improving lives. 

And while questions remain about the impact on jobs and privacy, history shows that every major technological shift has created more than it’s displaced. The key is preparation.

The government has put AI at the heart of the growth agenda, outlining plans to ramp up adoption in the 2025 AI Opportunities Action Plan and UK Industrial Strategy. This presents a significant opportunity for the UK to lead the world in embracing ethical, inclusive AI – but only if we act decisively.  

Concerns about automation and job displacement are real, but Deloitte UK’s State of the State report shows that while trust in technology’s impact on work is low, people are more optimistic when they feel empowered and prepared.

AI won’t just change jobs, it will change how work gets done and even the part humans play. 

We’ve seen it before. During the rise of enterprise platforms in the 1990s, many manual data entry jobs became data management and processing roles. And e-commerce created new digital opportunities, even as the high street declined. 

The impact of GenAI is already evident. Deloitte – and automation – helped one global pharmaceutical company reduce the time required to generate tailored information for local medical representatives, from months to weeks. By adapting content about markets and regulations, the AI-powered solution gave the company’s representatives the facts they needed far quicker, enabling them to have more meaningful conversations with healthcare professionals in different parts of the world. 

Deloitte also helped create an AI research assistant for a bank, which sped up report generation and improved productivity. The company now plans to make the AI available to thousands of employees – a clear vote of confidence in the technology.

Efficiency is further amplified by Agentic AI, which can plan and execute complicated interactions with humans and other agents. Deloitte's Agentic AI Blueprint, for example, aims to help telecommunications companies use the technology to generate a potential £109.5 billion in value for the industry over the next five years. 

Reskilling must become a strategic priority. According to Deloitte’s Digital Consumer Trends research, 11 million people in the UK have tried GenAI for work, but 40% mistakenly think it’s always accurate, so many are still unaware of its inherent flaws.

MIT researchers have also found that relying on GenAI for essay writing may contribute to ‘cognitive debt’ and a decline in learning skills. This underscores the critical need for training. 

Through our internal AI fluency programme, thousands of our people have gained hands-on experience with GenAI platforms like PairD, which is now used regularly by two thirds of our firm. We’re embedding AI literacy across our teams, from audit and tax to legal and consulting, but it’s not just about our own workforce.

We’ve partnered with education providers like Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, to open up tech careers for underrepresented communities. And through our digital social impact programme, we’re helping organisations including CAST and Teach First to show charities and the education sector how AI can drive greater equality.

The jobs of the future aren't just about knowing the latest tech; they're about learning and adapting constantly. This means fostering a growth mindset and developing capabilities that work across different roles. 

In an AI-driven world, ‘soft’ skills like influencing, relationship building, critical thinking, empathy and even humour become even more crucial. Because if every competitor uses the same tool, how do you differentiate? The answer is to invest in the qualities that make us human. 

If the UK embeds re-skilling in its response to AI, including through strategic partnerships with government, businesses and schools, it can harness its transformative power, drive economic growth and create high-skilled jobs.

AI will shape the next era of work, but we determine the outcomes.