Marvin OnumonuNurses, lecturers, librarians and surveyors are leading artificial intelligence (AI) adoption across the UK’s “invisible AI workforce”, research from Multiverse found.
The analysis of people on Multiverse’s AI apprenticeship programmes showed that over two-thirds (67%) were in non-tech roles, including nurses, doctors, librarians, pharmacists, therapists, lecturers and surveyors.
The data showed AI was being used in sectors outside technology, with a high number of apprentices in hospital and healthcare, higher education, construction, Government administration and financial services.
Multiverse’s research found that 12 million people in the UK were in “high-risk” occupations expected to decline over the next decade due to technological change, according to the National Foundation for Educational Research.
Roles in the full “invisible” AI jobs list included shipping clerks, biomedical scientists, charity fundraisers, creative directors, child protection workers, retail staff, merchandisers, tenancy managers, holiday let advisors and a herbarium curator.
Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse, said: “Clinicians and council workers are just as integral to driving AI adoption as the software engineers and data analysts.
“They are the ones finding practical ways to apply this technology to real-world problems, yet they’re often a second order consideration.
“The UK has all the ingredients to become the original AI-first nation but we can’t get there by restricting AI use to the tech department. Meaningful progress will only come from upskilling everyone.”
The research mapped AI hotspots across the country.
London remained the main centre, but growing clusters were found in Trafford, Cheshire West and Chester, Leeds and Birmingham.
The top London borough for AI apprentice talent was Croydon, followed by Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and Wandsworth.
The AI workforce included a mix of ages and genders, with a near-even split of 45% female and 54% male, and ages ranging from 19 to 71.
This compared to 22% of women working in AI roles in the UK overall.
