UK employees want AI at work, but insist humans remain accountable for decisions

New study reveals UK workplaces are moving slowly from ‘AI-curious’ to adoption, but maturity remains uneven and confidence gaps persist

BASINGSTOKE, UNITED KINGDOM, February 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Research announced today revealed that while almost two thirds of employees (62%) are excited at the prospect of artificial intelligence at work, they are insisting that accountability, governance, and human oversight must keep pace with automation. That’s according to ICS.AI, the leading provider of public sector AI transformation, which conducted nation-wide research on the UK’s view of AI in the workplace.

The UK-wide survey of 2,000 employees shows strong support for AI, alongside clear expectations that responsibility for decisions remains with people. More than eight in ten employees expect human involvement when AI is used to support important workplace decisions. The largest group (46%) expect AI-generated recommendations to be signed off by a human, while a further 37% expect humans to make final decisions supported by AI. Only a small minority (7%) are comfortable with fully autonomous AI decision-making.

The findings point to a workforce that is pragmatic rather than resistant: open to AI, but clear that risk, accountability, and ownership cannot be delegated to systems.

From AI-curious to to AI-native

The research reveals a fragmented picture of organisational AI maturity across the UK. One in five organisations (20%) are not using AI at all, while around a third (34%) remain ‘AI-curious’, running small pilots or isolated experiments. Just over a third (36%) have partially embedded AI across some teams.
However, only one in ten organisations can be described as AI-native, with joined-up, organisation-wide deployment. This uneven progression highlights a widening gap between experimentation and true operational capability.

This fragmentation helps explain why perceived value from AI remains mixed. While nearly three in ten organisations (29%) are already seeing returns from AI investments, the largest group (40%) believe it is still too early to tell. Many employees also feel that benefits are either unevenly distributed or not yet fully realised.

AI use today also remains skewed towards efficiency rather than transformation. The technology is most commonly used for administrative tasks such as document drafting and data entry (44%), while fewer than one in three employees (29%) say AI is being used for strategic purposes such as planning, forecasting, or insight.

Readiness, skills, and the case for human oversight

While two thirds (67%) of respondents feel at least somewhat comfortable using AI at work, a significant one third (33%) say they do not feel prepared at all. As organisations look to scale AI into higher-impact and higher-risk roles, this gap poses a material challenge to consistent and responsible adoption.

Commenting on the findings, Martin Neale, CEO of ICS.AI, said: “What this research really shows is that point-to-point AI use will never deliver true transformation. While many employees are comfortable using AI in parts of their work, a full third don’t yet feel prepared at all - and that gap becomes critical as AI takes on more influential roles.

“Human-in-the-loop models are essential at this stage. They allow organisations to move beyond isolated pilots and scale AI responsibly, with clear accountability, shared understanding and trust. The findings suggest that the next phase of the UK’s AI journey will be defined not by how quickly organisations adopt new tools, but by how effectively they align technology, people and accountability to build trust at scale.”

For more survey insights, download the full ICS.AI survey report here.

ENDS

About ICS.AI

ICS.AI is the UK’s fastest-growing profitable AI business, delivering transformative unified AI platforms for the public sector. The SMART: AI Transformation Programme empowers councils, universities, and public organisations to modernise operations, enhance services, and guarantee savings – without lock-in or fragmentation.

Website: https://www.ics.ai

Leah Jones
CommsCo
ljones@thecommsco.com

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