More than a quarter of Britons say they fear losing jobs to AI in next five years

The Guardian - World NewsEN 2 min read 100% complete by Joanna PartridgeJanuary 25, 2026 at 04:00 PM

AI Summary

medium article 2 min

A recent Randstad survey reveals that 27% of UK workers fear job losses to AI within five years. This concern stems from increased AI investment by UK employers (66%) and the encouragement of AI tool usage in the workplace (56%). The survey, encompassing 27,000 workers across 35 countries, highlights a mismatch in AI expectations, with younger workers expressing greater anxiety about adapting to AI's impact. Businesses are investing in AI to address skills gaps, potentially impacting younger workers entering a cooling labor market. While AI is seen as boosting productivity by 55% of UK workers, Randstad emphasizes the need to bridge the "AI reality gap" to ensure employees understand AI's role in augmenting tasks rather than replacing them.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Gen Z 50% Sander van 't Noordende 60% Randstad ×480% United Kingdom ×390%

Keywords

artificial intelligence 100% job displacement 80% ai adoption 70% workplace automation 60% skills gap 50% employee productivity 50% labor market 40% younger workers 40%