Artificial Inequality: AI is exacerbating career, income, and gender divides in the UK, research from The Adaptavist Group reveals

Based on a survey of 4,000 knowledge workers, 1,000 of which were in the UK, the study reveals that higher earners in the UK have disproportionate access to the latest AI tools and training, allowing them to reap AI's promised rewards. In contrast, lower earners and women are being shut out from AI opportunities, which impacts their skill development, job satisfaction, and time savings, both personally and professionally.

As AI adoption continues to surge, this imbalance risks creating a lasting negative impact on income and career mobility if left unaddressed.

The findings show that UK respondents with household incomes of over £100K were considerably more likely (27% versus 11%) to have received more than 20 hours of AI training in the last year, compared with those with less than £30,000 in household income. As a result, 84% of those bringing in £100K+ believe they've received sufficient guidance on AI, compared to 59% of those on less than £30,000. More than three-quarters (78%) of UK respondents with six-figure incomes also agreed they were provided with access to new AI tools regularly, in stark contrast to 49% of lower-income respondents.

This higher level of access to AI training is paying dividends for high earners:

While organisations stand to gain significantly by helping increase efficiencies and skills among the highest earners — traditionally the most senior resources — The Adaptavist Group's findings nonetheless raise urgent concerns about worsening workplace inequalities. The study provides compelling evidence to support Bhaskar Chakravorti's thesis of "artificial inequality", which highlights how AI makes societies' existing inequalities worse by "concentrating socioeconomic opportunities and outcomes within narrow societal segments while depriving others."

AI training divides are also emerging between large enterprises and small businesses. In fact, 21% of UK small businesses (less than 50 staff members) have had no training at all in the last 12 months, and 51% have had less than three hours training. Comparatively, just 16% of large organisations (more than 5,000 staff members) had received no training, whereas the majority (58%) had received more than three hours. With 99.8% of the UK’s private sector made up by SMEs, this disparity could represent a crucial barrier to AI innovation and long-term productivity.

The training divide is particularly worrying given Digital Etiquette 2025 revealed a clear link between AI training and enablement and better outcomes. The study indicates that AI training is becoming a key differentiating factor for career mobility and success in the workplace, which highlights the need to support workers at all levels. UK employees who received more than 20 hours of AI training were nearly five times more likely to view it as indispensable (28%) compared to those with less than an hour training (6%).

More training also translates to greater efficiency: 46% of those with 20 hours or more of training annually are saving at least 11 hours a week by using AI, equivalent to 1.4 working days for the average full-time employee. Of this figure, 11% said they are saving more than 30 hours, close to the equivalent of four full working days. Comparing this with those who had received less than an hour of training, 18% saved just one hour or less per week.

Those with more training not only saw more value but felt more comfortable proving it. Three-quarters (77%) of those with over 20 hours of training felt comfortable proving the ROI of their AI tools, compared to 38% of those with less than five hours of training. There is also a direct correlation between training and job satisfaction. A huge 58% of those with more than 20 hours of training said AI had significantly increased their job satisfaction, versus a meagre 5% of UK respondents who'd received an hour's training or less.

Figures suggest that company culture may be hindering AI skills and outcomes, as a significant 30% of UK workers said they wanted more training but were afraid to ask for it.

The study also uncovered that women in the UK are given less access to training than their male counterparts, despite the clear correlation between training and AI value:

"The findings clearly show how access to training and tools enables professionals to unlock value with AI, while simultaneously increasing job satisfaction.

"With so much to be gained from properly implemented AI, it is critical that opportunity is not concentrated in the hands of the few. Organisations should take steps to ensure equal access to tools and training across the workforce. Without this, we risk deepening the very inequalities technology should help to solve.

"For instance, the advantages of AI also extend beyond the workplace. Our study uncovered that higher earners are significantly more likely to use AI both professionally and personally. While we didn't explore personal usage patterns, AI's potential to reduce unpaid labour burdens and support side hustles suggests that unequal access to AI training could deepen existing divides, particularly problematic in an economy that increasingly values AI proficiency."

"Popular AI tools are built in the vision of Silicon Valley and best serve its demographics, leaving others behind. This critical research exposes how higher earners with more AI training extract more value, and explicitly shows the gender disparity in similar roles, with women facing reduced access and opportunities. As AI adoption accelerates, this creates a divide between AI 'haves' and 'have-nots' which will deepen inequality at work.

"This isn't just about fairness, it's about organisational survival. Companies that prioritise inclusive AI principles will outperform those that don't. The choice is simple: give everyone AI access for exponential growth, or concentrate opportunity among the few and limit your potential."

Aled Lloyd Owen, Professor of Enterprise and Chief of Staff for Responsible AI UK, said:

"Ensuring that the skills to successfully access the benefits of AI are available to the broadest possible cross section of society is an essential component to realising the enormous potential which AI systems bring. Equitable and inclusive approaches to AI implementation, including access to training and skills, is fundamental to a responsible approach to developing and deploying any AI system.

"AI has enormous potential to tackle inherent inequalities in our societies and to be a great leveller - but without ensuring the broadest possible access to its benefits, there exists a very real threat of entrenching and exacerbating those inequalities."