Half of government and public-sector workers cannot confirm if their organisation has a clear workplace policy on AI, despite nearly three-quarters using the technology at least weekly, new research has found.
The data, from the ‘AI Adoption in the Workplace Report’ by compliance and training experts Skillcast, is based on a survey of 500 full-time UK employees across financial services, government and public sector, legal, insurance, and compliance.
Among government and public-sector respondents, 72 per cent use AI at least weekly, with almost half (45 per cent) using it at least once a day.
Yet, only 50 per cent of respondents say their organisation has a clear, accessible policy on the use of AI tools.
The findings come as the UK government accelerates efforts to increase AI adoption, including through sector-specific AI adoption plans and initiatives to expand AI use across public services.
However, the research suggests that AI use may be moving faster than the workplace policies and guidance needed to govern it effectively.
A further 19 per cent of government and public sector workers say they do not know whether their organisation has an AI policy, while almost a third (31 per cent) say no such policy exists.
The findings also reveal potential concerns around how employees are using and evaluating AI-generated information. One in four government and public sector workers say AI produces inaccurate or misleading outputs at least half of the time.
Despite this, formal guidance on using the technology remains inconsistent. Two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents say that they have received some form of AI guidance from their employer over the past year, but just 36 per cent have received formal training or documentation.
Vivek Dodd, CEO of Skillcast, commented on the findings: “AI tools have moved from being an experimental technology to being a standard part of everyday working life for many employees. The challenge for the public sector is no longer simply encouraging adoption; it’s ensuring AI is used safely, consistently and with the right safeguards in place.
“For the public sector in particular, trust is imperative. Without clear guardrails, the use of AI can create security vulnerabilities, expose sensitive data and produce inaccurate or misleading information.
“Our research suggests many employees are already making day-to-day decisions with AI, yet significant numbers are doing so without formal training or clear organisational policies.
“As AI is embedded into different roles and operations, the public sector needs to provide clear and practical policies and regularly updated training that clearly states when to rely on AI, when to question its outputs, how to use the tools responsibly, and where human judgement remains essential. Policies and training should also evolve alongside the technology so organisations can innovate safely while protecting sensitive data and meeting their regulatory responsibilities."
You can read Skillcast’s ‘AI Adoption in the Workplace Report’ here: https://www.skillcast.com/blog/ai-adoption-in-te-workplace-report-the-uks-governance-gap
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