British workers are spending close to £1 billion a year from their own pockets on Generative AI (GenAI) tools they use for work, according to major new research from Deloitte UK.
The findings come from Deloitte UK’s inaugural GenAI Workforce Survey, the largest study of workplace GenAI use conducted in a single country. Based on responses from 25,000 workers across the UK, collected between May 7 and June 10, 2026, the research reveals how employees are really using GenAI in their jobs and how organisations are responding. The survey will be repeated every six months to monitor how usage evolves as the technology becomes more widely adopted.
The launch survey found that 63% of UK working adults aged 18-70 say they knowingly use GenAI for work. When asked to describe what types of GenAI tools they are using, nearly half (46%) say they are using free tools at work, 34% say they are using external tools paid for by their employer and 17% say they are using in-house tools. In addition, one in six (17%) GenAI users pay for at least one GenAI tool themselves for work purposes. Deloitte estimates annual personal spend among UK workers is £958 million.
