Two-thirds of people working with AI are not in tech roles
We tend to think of artificial intelligence as being at the cutting edge of technical development, but new analysis from Multiverse shows that over two-thirds of people using AI at work in the UK are in roles not traditionally associated with tech.
The analysis of over 2,500 people on Multiverse’s AI apprenticeship programs reveals that over two-thirds (67 percent) are in non-tech roles -- that is, roles whose job titles don’t include keywords related to tech, data and AI. Instead, among the 50 most common ‘invisible’ roles are frontline public service, education, healthcare and construction roles, including nurses, doctors, librarians, pharmacists, therapists, lecturers and surveyors.
Other ‘invisible’ AI jobs are occupations as varied as shipping clerks, biomedical scientists, charity fundraisers, creative directors, child protection workers, retail staff and merchandisers, tenancy managers, holiday let advisors -- and even a herbarium curator (Google it, we had to!).
Euan Blair, founder and CEO of Multiverse, says, "Clinicians and council workers are just as integral to driving AI adoption as software engineers and data analysts. They are the ones finding practical ways to apply this technology to real-world problems, yet they're often a second order consideration. The UK has all the ingredients to become the original AI-first nation but we can’t get there by restricting AI use to the tech department. Meaningful progress will only come from upskilling everyone.”
The analysis also maps the UK’s emerging AI hotspots, finding that while London remains a major centre, significant talent clusters are growing nationwide. The districts with the most AI apprentices outside the capital include Trafford, Cheshire West and Chester, Leeds, and Birmingham. This geographic spread points to a democratization of AI skills that is empowering regional economies.
The AI workforce is also made up of a diverse mix of ages and genders. The gender split is nearly even, with 45 percent of AI apprentices female and 54 percent male -- compared to the 22 percent of women working in AI roles in the UK as a whole. The age range spans from 19 to 71.
Anna Lazcano, a nurse at Barts Health NHS Trust, is building an AI solution that can interpret communications from intubated and tracheostomy patients using gesture tracking and speech-to-text technology. She says, "Effective AI solutions in healthcare have to be driven by frontline clinical needs. My experience in critical care means I understand the requirements of my patients -- and now AI skills have essentially given me a new clinical tool to address their needs."
You can find out more on the Multiverse site.
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