Google’s Latest AI Works Report, ‘UK Could Save Billions With Smarter Admin’ 💼

Google’s latest AI Works report, ‘UK Could Save Billions with Smarter Admin’

As AI reshapes how we work, a simple question is emerging: What if all it took was a few hours of training to reclaim over 120 hours of lost productivity each year?

According to Google’s latest AI Works report, with the right training and support, Britain could unlock £400 billion in AI-powered economic growth. But here’s the catch: it won’t happen unless workers actually adopt the technology.

Let’s break down what Google’s new pilot study reveals about this overlooked opportunity:

Why AI Adoption Is Lagging?

Despite rising interest, two-thirds of UK workers—especially older women and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds—still haven’t used generative AI at work.

One surprising barrier? Many employees feel they need “permission to prompt”—unsure if using AI is even allowed. Simple reassurance, combined with a few hours of AI training, was enough to double daily AI use across pilot programs, with the effects lasting months.

Google’s research shows: AI adoption isn’t just a tech problem. It’s a mindset problem.

122 Hours Saved Per Year—Per Worker

Across small businesses, educational trusts, and a trade union, workers saved an average of 122 hours annually just by using AI tools to handle administrative tasks.

This isn't about advanced coding or complex workflows. It's about small changes—writing faster emails, automating meeting notes, managing spreadsheets—that compound over time.

Women 55+ Showed the Biggest Leap

Before training, only 17% of women over 55 used AI weekly—and just 9% used it daily. After just a few simple sessions?

56% used AI weekly

29% made it a daily habit

This shift shows the power of demystifying AI through simple, supportive training.

How Google Plans to Scale AI Upskilling

oogle estimates that if the entire UK workforce were upskilled in this way, the country could unlock £400 billion in economic growth—the equivalent of a massive productivity windfall.

The takeaway?

We don’t need a tech revolution. We need everyday workers to feel confident using today’s tools—and organizations to support that journey.

Following the AI Works success, Google is expanding its efforts:

• Launching a new AI Prompting Essentials webinar to teach better AI interactions.

• Rolling out AI training across all UK schools in the Google for Education network.

• Partnering with Enterprise Nation and Community Union to reach more businesses and workers.

• Supporting policies like the AI Opportunities Action Plan and calling for government-backed AI training guarantees for all public sector workers.

The ambition? To create a lifelong learning culture where AI skills become as common as using the internet or spreadsheets.

Final Takeaway

The real productivity boost from AI isn’t locked inside some future innovation.

It’s already here—hidden inside everyday tasks—waiting for workers to feel confident enough to use it.

AI won’t replace jobs overnight. But it will reward those ready to adapt.

With just a few hours of training, the UK has a historic opportunity to turn AI curiosity into real economic growth.

The question is: Are we ready to prompt it?

💬 OpenAI Developments

Adobe adds AI models from OpenAI, Google to its Firefly app

Adobe announced it is integrating AI models from OpenAI, Google, and others into its Firefly app, alongside its own updated Firefly model, and expanding Firefly to mobile devices. Users can generate content with these third-party models and seamlessly transfer it into apps like Photoshop, using the same credit system, though Adobe did not reveal how revenue will be shared with model providers.

🚀 Tech Industry Moves

NVIDIA: Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, announced plans to challenge Nvidia by developing a homegrown AI strategy focused on optimizing existing products for emerging AI markets like robotics and agents, rather than relying on further acquisitions. After past failed attempts through buying startups, Intel now aims to build a full AI platform similar to Nvidia's integrated data center approach.

Amazon and NVIDIA: At a conference organized by the Hamm Institute in Oklahoma City, tech and energy executives discussed strategies to meet AI’s rising energy demands. Both industries increasingly agree that natural gas will play a key role in supporting this growth.

Meta laid off employees in its Reality Labs division, affecting teams within Oculus Studios that develop apps for Quest headsets, including the VR exercise app Supernatural. The company did not disclose the number of layoffs but confirmed the cuts impacted Quest-related projects.

Microsoft revealed it quietly used generative AI to help create a Surface product ad released three months ago, with no viewers noticing the AI elements. While intricate scenes were filmed live, AI tools generated scripts, storyboards, and some visuals, saving about 90% of the usual time and cost, highlighting AI’s growing role as a creative tool rather than a replacement.

Microsoft: AI tools like Microsoft's Copilot Studio are boosting productivity by handling tasks such as scheduling, but experts warn they could lead to widespread job displacement. While AI is expected to create some new roles, major institutions estimate that millions of jobs, especially in advanced economies, are at risk, raising concerns about the loss of human expertise and innovation.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei announced a goal to reliably detect most AI model issues by 2027, emphasizing the urgent need to understand how AI systems make decisions as they become central to society. He called for industry-wide efforts, light government regulation, and increased interpretability research to prevent deploying powerful but poorly understood AI models.

Anthropic uncovered a politically motivated influence operation using Claude to direct AI bots on social media, engaging with human posts in a coordinated, long-term strategy across multiple countries. These AI-driven campaigns mimic organic interactions to subtly shape opinions, making it harder to distinguish real content from propaganda.

Gemini has rapidly grown to 350 million monthly users and 35 million daily users, following improvements in its AI models and broader integration into the Google ecosystem. However, it still lags behind ChatGPT's 600 million monthly users, and both companies face significant costs as growing usage increases the computational expense of running generative AI.

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