The AI Guide

Summary/Overview

Two in five (40%) people now use AI both at work and in their personal lives. As the rise of AI adoption makes AI tools more of a normality across key areas of our lives, we wanted to find out how people are using it to their advantage.

We surveyed more than 1,000 adults across the UK to learn more about how AI has transformed their personal and professional lives.

Read on as we dive into insights on how people use AI tools to save time, enhance their productivity, as well as identify the key concerns around the growth of AI.

Key takeaways.

• 15% of people use AI-powered tools to support work tasks
• 25% of people reach for AI-powered tools throughout their personal life
• 31% don’t use AI-powered tools at all
• 5% of people want to learn more about AI and hope to use it more soon

From inspiring design ideas to optimising editing and organisation tasks, AI tools can enhance your capabilities and save you time day-to-day. Let’s take a closer look at what AI can do below.

How do people use AI at home?

If you regularly use apps and streaming services such as Spotify and Netflix, there’s a good chance you already benefit from content recommendations fuelled by AI. These apps use AI to improve your experience by personalising the content you see and listen to.

But beyond Friday night movies and personalised playlists, more of us are using AI tools to find answers than ever. From using AI tools like a search engine, to informing how we interact with people online.

The most common ways people use AI to optimise their everyday include information research (65%), communication (29%), such as using smart email and text replies, and entertainment (28%), such as music and movie recommendations.

However, more than four in 10 people (41%) also use AI as their own personal assistant, timekeeper and trainer, using it to organise their day-to-day lives and track fitness goals.

Between creating new recipes from the ingredients left in your fridge to designing birthday invitations, AI tools can transform the way you approach your personal habits and life admin:

• Saving time. When it comes to saving precious time at home, almost half of those surveyed (47%) say that AI tools saves them anywhere between one to four hours a week.
• Saving money. From finding the best deals to reducing the need for paid services, more than half (51%) of those we surveyed save money every month thanks to AI. More than one in four (27%) report savings of up to £50 a month.
• Boosting productivity. AI tools can be used to plan events, design creative assets and spark creativity through ideation and inspiration. Our survey revealed that nearly three quarters (72%) of respondents experienced a significant or moderate boost in productivity after introducing AI. Meanwhile, one in five (20%) maintain a neutral perspective, and only 5% of people have had a negative experience.

How do people use AI at work?

AI integrations are rapidly becoming a standard feature in the workplace, from virtual assistants to generative AI tools. When it comes to enhancing efficiencies and boosting productivity, we found that most UK professionals prefer to use AI to help streamline data-heavy tasks and repetitive admin.

To learn more about the real impact of AI at work, we asked people across the UK how they use AI tools day-to-day.

Today, professionals in the UK are using AI for:

• Design. From image generation to content ideation and copywriting, an overwhelming 70% of UK professionals use AI for creative tasks.
• Research. More than half of people (56%) use AI for research and information gathering, pulling sources from across the internet.
• Analysis. Up to 46% of people turn to AI for data analysis and interpretation, drawing key insights from a wealth of information.
• Project management. Likewise, two in five people (40%) use AI tools to help streamline and optimise repetitive tasks and project management.
• Communication. Less than a quarter of people (22%) use AI to help draft emails and messages at work.
• Learning. When it comes to software development, almost one in five professionals (18%) use AI to support coding.

But how much of a difference does this make?

According to our survey, one in eight people (12%) are saving more than 10 hours per week by using AI tools, while the vast majority (43%) save an average of one to four hours at work every week.

We also found that AI tools are currently more effective at saving time for work than streamlining personal tasks, with more people reporting time efficiencies for work.

AI in the UK: How different cities are embracing AI.

Four out of five people (80%) in Southampton report positive experiences with AI. However, one in 10 (10%) people in Leeds say that AI has had the opposite effect.

Let’s take a closer look at how people across the UK adopt AI into their everyday lives.

Using AI at work.

In Belfast, an overwhelming majority of people use AI tools for writing and content creation (100%), while more than two-thirds (71%) of those in Manchester prefer to use AI for data analysis and interpretation.

Meanwhile, more than half of those (56%) in Bristol predominantly use AI to help automate repetitive tasks. In Newcastle, more than a quarter (27%) of professionals in use AI to support coding and software development tasks.

Saving time.

More than two-third (69%) of those in Southampton save up to one and four hours a week, while a surprising 13% are saving more than 10 hours per week – reporting the most impressive time efficiencies in the UK.

Meanwhile, one in four people in Belfast (25%) and Norwich (25%) report time savings of up to 10 hours a week.

Saving money.

When it comes to saving money, Glaswegians are saving the most by utilising AI, with almost a third (29%) claiming that they save more than £50 per month.

According to our survey, more than two-fifths (44%) of those who use AI in Edinburgh save between £5 and £20 per month thanks to AI, while half of those surveyed in Newcastle (50%) report monthly savings of up to £50.

However, on average, most people didn’t notice any significant savings.

Using AI at home.

For optimising life admin and regular tasks at home, using AI to gather research information was by far the most common answer.

More than half of those in Liverpool (55%) also use AI for learning and education. Meanwhile, a third (33%) of those in Sheffield use AI for health and fitness tracking, and four in 10 people (40%) in Southampton use it for creative writing and image generation.

Why do people choose not to use AI?

People in Belfast are the most sceptical about trusting AI tools. Nearly two thirds (60%) of those surveyed are reluctant to use AI tools due to accuracy and security concerns – followed by worries surrounding deskilling (40%) and ethics (40%).

Meanwhile, almost half those in Birmingham (46%) and Edinburgh (47%) prefer not to use AI due to feeling less in control.

Our data also shows that more people could be using AI to support tasks at work and in their personal lives if they were more comfortable with how to use it.

A third of those in Liverpool (36%) and Nottingham (33%) don’t use AI because they struggle to understand it. Meanwhile, more than four in ten people in Cardiff (45%) and Southampton (42%) also find AI difficult to use.

How UK industries are using AI.

We also explored the role of AI across leading sectors to find out which industries use AI – and for what tasks.

Our survey found that professionals in marketing, advertising and PR use AI the most – both in their personal lives and at the workplace. Almost two-thirds (60%) use AI at work and at home, compared to only 6% of those in sales, who predominantly use AI at work.

Meanwhile, around a third of those in recruitment and HR (33%), science and pharmaceuticals (33%), and accountancy and finance (30%) regularly use AI at work.

Common types of work tasks.

When asked what type of tasks people tend to enhance with AI, most industries say they use it for research and information gathering, data analysis, communications and streamlining repetitive tasks.

• As many as 75% of those in business, consulting and management use AI for data analysis, compared to only 33% of professionals working in marketing, advertising and PR, who reach for AI for more creative tasks such as content creation.
• Those who work in law predominantly use AI to support content creation and communication tasks (100%), compared to 80% of those in recruitment and HR.
• Of those working in IT (information technology), almost three-quarters (73%) use AI for sourcing information, almost half (47%) use AI for software development – while only 5% do not use AI at all.

Saving time.

Which industries benefit from the most time efficiencies by using AI-powered tools? Environment and agriculture, and hospitality and events management workers are saving the most time with AI – more than 10 hours per week for 50% of each.

Meanwhile, three in four (75%) charity and voluntary workers save between one and four hours per week thanks to AI tools, compared to only 50% of public services and administrative roles.

Sentiment around AI by industry.

From data security to shifting roles and concerns around deskilling, our survey found that industry outlook on the rise of AI adoption can vary dramatically.

To find out more, we asked industries across the UK how AI has impacted their productivity. Sentiment was largely positive, with 100% of those working in environment and agriculture reporting a significantly positive experience. However, professionals in media and the internet remain largely neutral (80%).

Meanwhile, almost one in five (18%) of those who work in energy and utilities say that AI has negatively impacted their work – reporting the highest negative sentiment out of all industries.

When asked why they choose to avoid AI, the following industries had this to say:

• Privacy and personal data security was the primary concern for marketing (100%), business, consulting, and management (69%) IT (57%), and law (57%).
• Ethical considerations were one of the key concerns for those in marketing, advertising and PR (100%).
• Worries around feeling less in control affect environment and agriculture (50%), hospitality and events management (50%), leisure, sport and tourism (56%), and science and pharmaceutical (100%) industries the most.
• The majority of those in science and pharmaceuticals (100%) and creative arts and design (67%) avoid AI tools due a lack of education in how to use them.

How optimise your workflow and personal life with AI.

We’ve already touched on how different cities feel about AI, and why they may still feel some distrust surrounding AI-powered tools. When we look at overall sentiment, it tells us a similar story. People are most concerned about the privacy of their personal data (31%), as well as the risk of becoming overly reliant on AI tools, and deskilling (19%).

However, after privacy concerns, the biggest barrier for using AI-powered tools was how some people found it challenging to use, with more than one in three (27%) reporting a lack of training and understanding.

But not all AI-powered tools are niche and complicated. As many as one in five people (20%) use AI to help bring their creative ideas to life with a few simple phrases and the touch of a button.

Here are our top tips for using AI to complement your work and personal projects:

1. Use AI to inspire ideas.

From text to image generation to brainstorming ideas, generative AI tools can help offer fresh ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Think mood boards, presentation and design assets, or simply a starting point to creative something completely unique. Use AI as a springboard for your existing creative skills, or play around with editing tools to learn something new.

2. Utilise AI for organisation.

AI tools are ideal for streamlining workflows, whether it’s your professional schedule or your personal calendar. Use tools to automate repetitive tasks and forecast timelines, or utilise virtual assistances to help schedule reminders and respond to emails.

3. Be mindful of sources.

It’s true that almost one in five (18%) people are sceptical about the reliability of AI outputs, and it’s certainly something to bear in mind. AI tools can deliver a world of information in just a few prompts, but it’s important to remember to check your sources to mitigate spreading false information.

4. Look out for free tools and trials.

Almost one in six people (14%) miss out on the tools and possibilities AI-generated services can provide due to concerns surrounding subscription costs. But there are plenty of creative tools out there that don’t come at a price. With Adobe Express, you can access a range of design and video editing tools for free. Explore templates, generative-AI tools and more to enhance your creative projects.

Creativity is simple with the right tools. Discover endless ways to boost your creative productivity with our intuitive AI Art Generator and AI Video Generator. Design assets for social posts, videos, flyers and personal stationary with the free Adobe Express suite.

Looking for more inspiration? Visit our Adobe Express blog for more ideas for what you can do for free with Adobe Express. Explore contemporary design ideas, as well as our top 10 free font guide to get started.

Try Adobe Express for free now

Adobe Express for Business allows you to unlock unlimited tools from the all-in-one creation app and take your business to new heights. From stand out brand content to social media assets, unleash your creativity with the help of generative AI technology – designed to be commercially safe.

Methodology.

Adobe Express conducted a national survey via TLF. The survey polled 1,000 UK adults between 24.04.2025 and 01.05.2025. The questions in the survey are displayed throughout the above content, and the data includes splits across age groups (18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+), city (Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, Southampton), gender (male, female, non-binary or alternative identity) and career industry (24 industries including Accountancy, banking and finance, Business, consulting and management, Charity and volunteer work, Creative arts and design, Energy and utilities, Engineering and manufacturing, Environment and agriculture, Healthcare, Hospitality and events management, Information technology, Law, Law enforcement and security, Leisure, sport and tourism, Marketing, advertising and PR, Media and internet, Property and construction, Public services and administration, Recruitment and HR, Retail, Sales, Science and pharmaceuticals, Social care, Teacher training and education, Transport and logistics).

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