AI is creating new roles in UK firms, HP survey finds

Sixty per cent of UK business leaders say AI has created new roles or teams in their organisations, according to HP's latest survey of workers and managers across 15 countries.

The research also found that only 10% of UK business leaders see AI as primarily reducing roles, adding to evidence that the technology is reshaping workforces through job redesign as much as automation.

Use of workplace AI tools is also rising quickly in Britain. HP found that 52% of UK workers now use employer-provided AI daily or weekly, up from 28% a year earlier, while the share not using AI has fallen to 16%.

The UK ranked fourth among the 15 markets surveyed for adoption of generative AI and AI agents, suggesting the technology is becoming a regular part of working life for many desk-based staff.

Different views

The findings also point to a gap between how leaders and employees view the shift. While 60% of business leaders said their organisation clearly communicates AI's impact on roles, only 36% of workers agreed.

The divide comes amid broader workplace uncertainty. HP found that 82% of UK knowledge workers had experienced organisational change over the past year, and 64% said it felt too risky to leave their job.

Even so, the survey suggests many workers are responding by trying to build flexibility into their careers. More than half of UK respondents said they were prioritising transferable skills over a traditional career ladder, and 38% reported having an income-generating side venture. Among Generation Z workers, that rose to 49%.

AI use also appears linked to expectations of career disruption rather than reassurance. According to the research, 65% of expert AI users in the UK said they may need to significantly pivot their career in the next few years, compared with 33% of basic AI users.

Among all workers, 45% said they now use AI agents as part of their work. Workers who use AI agents are more likely than those using only generative AI tools to believe their role will become harder to define and to worry about being replaced by AI or by colleagues with stronger AI expertise.

Workplace health

HP's wider work index found some improvement in how UK employees feel about their jobs. It found that 26% of UK knowledge workers now report a healthy relationship with work, up 11 percentage points from the previous year.

Still, nearly two in five remained in what the survey classified as an unhealthy or critical zone. HP's analysis found leadership confidence was the strongest driver of a healthy relationship with work in the UK, followed by technology enablement, workforce development, personal future readiness and AI confidence.

Workers also linked retention to development. The survey found that 68% of UK knowledge workers would be more likely to stay at a company that invests in helping them develop, while 73% of knowledge workers globally said they would be more likely to stay where employers actively support growth and development.

For employers, that puts pressure on workplace technology as well as training. Seventy per cent of business leaders globally said employee technology experience is a differentiator, and nearly two-thirds said poor technology experience affects their ability to retain top talent.

Ruth Patterson, Managing Director, HP United Kingdom and Ireland, said the findings showed workers were adjusting to rapid change rather than resisting it.

"Work is changing rapidly, but this year's findings show that people are adapting with it," Patterson said.

"Workers are building new skills and embracing new technologies to navigate uncertainty with greater confidence. Importantly, AI is also creating new opportunities, with 60% of UK business leaders reporting that it is creating new roles within their organisations. For businesses, the priority now is to help people seize those opportunities by investing in the skills, tools and development they need to adapt and grow."

Patterson said the issue for companies had moved beyond simply giving staff access to AI tools.

"As AI becomes more embedded in everyday work, the next challenge is making sure it genuinely makes work better for people.

"That means moving beyond simply providing access to AI and thinking about the entire employee experience, enabling people to focus on higher-value work and making technology more intuitive and reliable. CIOs and IT leaders have a real opportunity to shape that experience and ensure technology helps people perform at their best."