UK STEM productivity hampered by limited AI tool access

Research has identified a significant productivity gap among the UK's STEM workforce due to limited access to advanced artificial intelligence tools.

According to a recent study conducted by STEM specialists SThree, the lack of access to AI tools is costing the UK economy approximately GBP £64 billion annually. The report indicates that the UK's Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) professionals lose an average of six hours each week, which contributes to this substantial productivity deficit.

The research highlights that 30% of UK STEM professionals feel that productivity is the most negatively impacted aspect of their work due to insufficient AI tools, a figure higher than in any other country included in the study. Moreover, one in five STEM workers reportedly loses an entire working day each week to tasks that could potentially be expedited using AI technologies.

The surveyed professionals represent various roles within the STEM fields, such as software engineers, environmental scientists, biomedical researchers, and data analysts. These individuals often play pivotal roles in driving technological advancements across different industries.

In a survey involving over 2,500 STEM professionals from five developed economies - the US, UK, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands - SThree explored how STEM specialists perceive their organisations' efforts towards integrating AI.

Tom Way, Managing Director of the UK arm of SThree, commented, "UK businesses need to implement AI-related change but the pace of implementation remains a challenge. There is a huge STEM skills gap in the economy yet here we have STEM specialists crying out for change to become more productive. It is not exaggerating to say that this reluctance to embrace AI is a risk to our economic future."

Findings from the "How the STEM world works" study suggest a disparity between the positive attitudes of STEM professionals towards AI and the companies' leadership approaches. Over two-thirds of respondents believe that employing advanced AI could substantially boost company growth. Despite this, 45% of respondents claim organisational leaders fail to understand how these technologies could enhance their work, with 59% labelling their leaders as "digitally illiterate."

Despite high levels of proposal submissions, with 82% of STEM employees advocating for technological or software innovations, only 29% of these suggestions have been successful. The predominant reason cited for the lack of uptake is the "digital illiteracy" of organisational leadership.

Tom Way further added, "If any type of worker can identify the positive benefits of AI, it's a STEM professional. Business leaders must catch up with the rapid pace of technological development, and it is clear in some cases that means being far more open-minded about AI. Allowing access to advanced AI tools is crucial for maintaining productivity and staying competitive. By failing to act now, organisations are hindering their own growth and risk losing their best talent."