British workers are spending close to £1 billion a year from their own pockets on generative AI (GenAI) tools they use for work, according to major new research from Deloitte UK.
The findings come from Deloitte UK’s inaugural GenAI Workforce Survey, the largest study of workplace GenAI use conducted in a single country. Based on responses from 25,000 workers across the UK, collected between 7th May and 10th June 2026, the research reveals how employees are really using GenAI in their jobs and how organisations are responding. The survey will be repeated every six months to monitor how usage evolves as the technology becomes more widely adopted.
The launch survey found that 63% of UK working adults aged 18-70 say they knowingly use GenAI for work. When asked to describe what types of GenAI tools they are using, nearly half (46%) say they are using free tools at work, 34% say they are using external tools paid for by their employer and 17% say they are using in-house tools. In addition, one in six (17%) GenAI users pay for at least one GenAI tool themselves for work purposes. Deloitte estimates annual personal spend among UK workers is £958 million.
Prompt first, permission later: workers race ahead on AI
The survey suggests workers using GenAI are embracing the technology more quickly than many organisations are making tools available. Nearly a third (31%) of GenAI users say they use GenAI without their employer’s knowledge, also known as shadow AI, and bring their own GenAI tools to work, while almost a quarter (24%) of UK workers now use GenAI tools every day for work. Many GenAI users (65%) also report a lack of convincing leadership on how GenAI should be used in their organisation.
UK workers are showing they don’t want to wait for permission to use GenAI. Many are already using free tools or pay for premium versions themselves to help them get work done.
The challenge is no longer getting people to use GenAI, it’s how businesses meet this growing demand in a way that is secure, responsible and creates lasting value for both the organisation and its people.
– Hayley McKelvey, chief AI officer, Deloitte UK
Workers save time with GenAI but fear being judged for using it
The UK workforce claims to be saving, on average, 70 minutes a week using GenAI tools at work and most of the time saved is used for doing more work for the same employer. Yet nearly a quarter (23%) think there is a stigma attached to using GenAI in the workplace while two thirds (64%) of weekly users are worried managers will think GenAI can do their jobs.
Workers who feel a stigma around adopting GenAI tools are more likely to conceal their use. Leaders should help their people use AI responsibly, with a clearly articulated and well-understood goal. That means being clear about why their workforce should use GenAI, how it should be used and what success looks like. This will help people use the tools more consciously, make better decisions, manage risks and add value.
– Hayley McKelvey, chief AI officer, Deloitte UK
AI use is widespread, but workers are only scratching the surface
The Deloitte UK research also indicates that GenAI users are largely using the technology to support everyday work activities with the top three use cases being searching for information (43%), drafting emails (43%) and creating summaries (31%). At the same time, nearly half (49%) of the employees who use GenAI at work say they have received no formal training on how to use AI safely and effectively in the workplace.
The story here isn’t that workers are using GenAI, it’s that they are using it despite limited training, patchy guidance and, in some cases, without their employer’s knowledge.
What’s particularly striking is how quickly GenAI has become part of everyday working life. Yet for many workers its role remains relatively basic, focused on searching for information and drafting content rather than supporting more complex work.
The organisations that gain the greatest advantage from AI will be those that move beyond simply providing access to tools and focus on helping people use them with the appropriate guardrails and purpose.
– Paul Lee, partner and head of industry insight, Deloitte UK
