As practically every sector adjusts to the present and plans for the future of an AI-orientated workforce, there remain many unanswered questions about how this technology will affect our lives.
Among the most persistent concerns regarding AI is its potential to replace millions of workers, potentially creating a major employment crisis.
While these questions were fine to speculate over at the release of ChatGPT in 2022, several years later AI is firmly in the workplace, so clearer answers are needed.
It was in this spirit that Monday.com, the popular workplace operating system, examined how digital automation is impacting professional life in its latest World of Work report.
The survey of 500 UK and US directors on what will shape AI adoption in 2026 has produced some surprising findings.
AI headcount reduction
Overwhelmingly it appears there is confidence among UK business leaders that a human workforce is resilient to technology.
According to the report, 78% of UK directors do not expect AI to reduce headcount over the next year and in fact, almost a third (32%) expect to hire more because of the technology.
Management in the UK for now holds firm on the idea that deriving any value from AI will require keeping people at the centre of how work gets done, with many emphasising that AI should open space for new specialist roles for workers.
“AI-focused jobs are cropping up across every sector, and not just in IT departments,” said Ben Barnett, regional vice president for UK and Ireland at Monday.com.
“Despite the central role of AI, these roles aren’t purely technical. In many cases, they’re blending practical knowledge of AI with crucial workplace skills, such as project management and team coordination.”
Barnett pointed to “AI adoption leads”, workers focused on integrating the technology into everyday workflows, as well as AI workforce managers, responsible for embedding AI agents into teams and ensuring effective work.
“These roles also reflect a broader shift in how organisations are thinking about AI in practice,” he said.
“For AI to deliver real value, it needs to be deployed in a way that works for teams, not around them. That’s why people are being put in charge of these new roles – to keep humans in the loop, ensure accountability, and help move work up the value curve.”
AI integration has come a long way
With a few years of exposure to generative AI tools now under the belt of the wider UK workforce, it has become rare for businesses to have no integration of the technology into their workflow somewhere.
According to Monday.com, 95% of UK directors use AI at work, with 80% using it daily and 70% considering themselves to be advanced or expert users.
Looking beyond individual use, over half of UK directors (52%) said AI is “significantly” embedded in their company’s overarching mission, with 39% having a dedicated AI team driving its rollout.
These directors also express confidence that their staff are largely receptive to AI, with 70% saying their employees are proficient in using it.
The conversation has decidedly moved away from whether AI should be integrated, with the top concerns now being quality of output and safeguarding policies.
“Like any new technology, AI can only ever be as useful as you make it. If it’s strapped onto day-to-day processes as an afterthought, you’re unlikely to see meaningful ROI,” said Barnett.
“Instead, businesses need to thoughtfully integrate AI across teams, with clear guidelines that show employees how they can safely and creatively utilise AI in their roles.”
Barnett noted that internal AI use policies have become an “absolute necessity”, but warned against treating them as a “list of dos and don’ts”.
He said: “If implemented effectively, these policies can act as guardrails that provide employees with the freedom and confidence to experiment without stifling innovation.”
