AI in the Workforce: The Hidden Risk for UK Businesses

Download report

The gap between perception and reality

From the boardroom, AI usage can appear well managed. Policies exist, strategies are signed off, and progress appears deliberate. But beneath the confidence projected publicly, there is uncertainty, inconsistency, and growing anxiety about what is really happening inside organisations. 

The people setting the rules are also the ones most likely to break them. 

We surveyed over 2,000 UK tech workers to find out what’s really happening. The results challenge almost everything leadership teams think they know about AI readiness, risk, and capability.

Access the report

The headlines

27 %

of frontline staff trust C-suite AI expertise

50 %

expect AI will cause job losses at their company within three years

93 %

of C-level leaders say AI-informed decisions have been made using inaccurate data

Why this matters for your organisation

Your financial performance will suffer

Two-thirds of tech workers have seen AI cause a mistake at their company. Bad data in, bad decisions out. Most outputs aren’t being checked before they’re used.

Your talent pipeline will weaken

Half your workforce expects AI to cost jobs. Anxious people disengage. Unsupported people leave. In a talent-short market, that’s expensive.

Your credibility will erode

When AI decisions go wrong, the tool isn’t accountable. The leader who relied on it is. And most organisations still can’t say who’s responsible.

Download the report

What's inside the whitepaper

This 24-page report provides a comprehensive picture of AI usage across UK workplaces, based on independent research with 2,020 tech workers. 

You’ll discover: 

  • The real state of AI adoption across different seniority levels 
  • Why senior leaders are the biggest AI risk-takers 
  • The gap between what leadership sees and what the workforce experiences 
  • Why 80% of C-suite executives believe they need a dedicated AI specialist at board level 
  • What needs fixing across leadership, strategy, governance, and skills 
  • Five practical actions you can take today 
Download the report

This report explores what is really happening inside UK workplaces, where the most material hazards are emerging, and what leaders need to address now. The organisations that succeed will be those that listen carefully, confront the reality beneath the headlines, and take action before the risks compound.

Ollie Whiting CEO
Ollie Whiting

AI in the Workforce report

Register for exclusive access to the report, launching Monday 2nd February 2026.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Marketing opt-in
*
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form

Building and demonstrating strategy

56% of C-suite say AI strategy matches reality “very well”. Only 16% of entry-level staff agree. If large parts of the workforce cannot describe where AI is heading, the strategy is not working. 

Inovus helps organisations build foundations designed for scale, assess and implement AI strategy, and upskill teams to ensure sustainable success. 

Visit Inovus

Leading from the top

69% of the workforce believe their company needs an AI specialist in the C-suite. 80% of existing C-suite leaders agree. 

Our executive search practice places CTOs, CIOs, Chief AI Officers, and senior technology leaders who can bring genuine AI expertise to your board. 

Visit Executive

Closing the skills gap

26% of entry-level and 34% of intermediate staff have received no AI training at all. Only 37% of tech workers always verify AI outputs. 

La Fosse Academy delivers role-based AI and technology training, from foundations to advanced application. 

Visit Academy

Building AI capability

52% of tech workers say AI decisions are being made without the right expertise. Some skills can be developed internally. Others need to be hired. As AI becomes central to how businesses operate, competition for people who can build, deploy, and govern AI systems is intensifying.

We connect ambitious businesses with exceptional AI, data science, machine learning, and technology talent to build the capability you need.

Visit Recruitment

AI panel event

From research to action

Reading the whitepaper is the first step. On Thursday 26 March, we’re bringing together senior leaders to discuss what the findings mean in practice, where organisations are getting stuck, and how to move from experimentation to execution. Attendees also get VIP access to our AI Strategy Tool.

6:00pm | The Conduit, London

Fid out more about the panel event

About the research
This research was conducted by Censuswide among a sample of 2,020 employees in the UK working in tech, aged 18 and over. The data was collected between 16 and 23 December 2025. Respondents span all seniority levels: C-suite executives (27%), directors (19%), senior management (27%), middle management (15%), intermediate level (9%), and entry level (2%). Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. 

© La Fosse 2026. All rights reserved.