The UK’s AI-skilled workforce will not be limited to the tech industry, with a variety of sectors expected to benefit from a new generation of AI workers, according to new research from Multiverse.
In an analysis of more than 2,500 people enrolled in AI apprenticeship programmes by Multiverse, over two-thirds (67%) were in non-tech roles, suggesting that AI skills could fast become an asset across dozens of sectors.
Described by the edtech unicorn as the “invisible AI workforce”, the technology was being used in the training of roles in fields as varied as frontline public service, education, healthcare and construction.
“Clinicians and council workers are just as integral to driving AI adoption as software engineers and data analysts,” said Multiverse founder and chief executive Euan Blair.
“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 analysis also mapped the UK’s AI hotspots. While London was unsurprisingly the largest cluster, the research noted significant AI skills in Trafford, Cheshire, Leeds and Birmingham.
Within London, the top boroughs for AI apprentice talent were Croydon, Tower Hamlets, Lewisham and Wandsworth.
