ARTIFICIAL intelligence has created jobs for more than half of UK businesses, new research reveals.

Fifty-four per cent of UK firms have placed adopting the new tech at the heart of their plans to grow and upskill their workers, a bank survey reveals.

More than half of firms say AI has created new jobs, the Lloyds Business Credit: Alamy

A third of firms surveyed say they don’t have the AI skills needed Credit: Getty

Results from the Lloyds Business Barometer reveal that almost a third of companies, some 31 per cent, say they don’t have the necessary AI skills.

But company chiefs in 54 per cent of firms say they do have the essential skills needed.

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The survey, of 1,200 companies with a minimum turnover of £250,000, revealed that 43 per cent are looking at bringing in the skills and nearly a third are training up staff.

Nearly a quarter, some 24 per cent, are focusing more on AI skills when they take on new workers, while one in five are craeting AI-specific jobs.

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More than half of firms, some 58 per cent say they will upskill their staff in the coming 12 months with 42 per cent saying they will spend between £25,000 and £100,000.

Just of a quarter of firms will spend between £100,000 and £250,000.

The Lloyds survey revealed that nearly six in ten firms believe if they don’t update their skills thy will be at a competitive disadvantage.

But firms pointed to costs, data quality and access to skills as to why they may be slow to adapt.

Amanda Murphy, CEO of Lloyds Business and Commercial Banking, said: “AI has the potential to be as transformative for businesses as the internet was a generation ago.

“The businesses seeing the greatest benefit are treating it not simply as a technology investment, but as a catalyst for broader transformation across their organisation.

“Success will depend on more than access to technology. It will come from building the skills, culture and confidence to use it effectively.

“The businesses that can combine human ingenuity with the power of AI will create a meaningful advantage in productivity, innovation and growth.

“As adoption accelerates, the greatest challenge for many organisations may not be keeping pace with technology but ensuring they have the capabilities to adapt alongside it.

“Supporting businesses to navigate that transition will be critical if the UK is to fully capture the economic opportunity AI presents.”