A new report from Google suggests the United Kingdom has the potential to double its artificial intelligence adoption, which could generate an estimated £400 billion in economic growth. The tech company's AI Works report states that effective workforce adoption alone could account for half of these gains, approximately £200 billion.

Current data shows two-thirds of UK workers have never used generative AI in their workplace. This trend is most evident among older women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. Google's research reveals women over 55 are four times less likely to use AI than men under 35.

The report focuses on accessibility issues and offers several recommendations for businesses to boost AI adoption. One key suggestion is giving workers "permission to prompt" by creating clear AI policies that help employees understand AI tools are legitimate and comparable to other internet-based resources.

Google's research found that AI habits form quickly, with just a few hours of training doubling daily AI usage. This increased usage typically remains high months after initial training, leading to further exploration and continued learning.

The report claims AI can save workers an average of 122 hours annually across all sectors. This figure exceeds previous estimates of 100 hours, suggesting even greater productivity benefits than initially projected.

Debbie Weinstein, Google's EMEA President, stated: "We want these pilots to encourage more leaders to act now and seize this opportunity to equip everyone with the skills needed to unlock economic growth and change ways of working for the better."

Google has also called on the UK Government to provide AI training for all public sector workers. Peter Kyle, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, responded by committing to "support workers to develop the skills they need for jobs in and with AI, so that all parts of society can benefit from this technology."

These developments occur amid broader AI governance discussions worldwide. Recently, former OpenAI employees petitioned attorneys general in California and Delaware to block the company's planned nonprofit-to-for-profit conversion, raising concerns about who will control advanced AI technologies. The petition has support from Nobel laureates and AI experts.