Britain is the most exposed to AI disruption of any major economy, survey finds

See more This is Money on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Updated: 02:45 EDT, 27 August 2026 Britain is more exposed than any other major economy to disruption by artificial intelligence (AI), new research suggests.Analysis of 30 countries by Deutsche Bank found AI could affect a relatively large share of the nation’s workforce.And it pointed out that much of Britain’s exports are in services sector industries that could be upended by the new technology.The analysis chimes with growing fears that while AI could represent a major boost to economic growth, it also potentially poses a major threat to jobs.Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey is among those to raise concerns, warning earlier this year that AI could ‘destroy jobs’ faster than anyone expects.Deutsche’s report looked at how ‘knowledge work’ could be hit by AI, affecting both jobs and trade balances across a number of economies.It said the next phase of the AI transition ‘could be defined by its impact on white-collar roles’. Much of Britain's exports are in services that could be upended by artificial intelligence ‘If we had to narrow our findings down to one country that stands out, it would be the UK,’ said Deutsche analyst Shreyas Gopal, who compiled the report.‘A high share of the domestic workforce are in roles impacted by AI.‘And from an external balance standpoint, the UK currently exports a lot of services which could be impacted by AI while importing goods and other services.’The report chimes with similar recent findings from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) about London’s exposure to an AI jobs bloodbath.It comes as new research from the Work Foundation shows young people struggling to find work are being rejected by AI bots, shattering the confidence of job seekers who are already finding it increasingly difficult to find work.Many fear that entry-level jobs in traditionally popular graduate professions such as accountancy and law are under threat because of the rise of AI – because AI can now carry out many of the routine tasks that these jobs involve.Separate figures this week showed job openings for university leavers have fallen to the lowest level in at least a decade.Some banks are already axing jobs and replacing them with AI, with Standard Chartered chief Bill Winters notoriously describing those being fired as ‘lower value human capital’.However, some are sceptical about the idea of AI killing jobs, with Astrazeneca chief Pascal Soriot, who argues instead that it will help people do their job better.DIY INVESTING PLATFORMSAJ BellAJ BellEasy investing and ready-made portfoliosHargreaves LansdownHargreaves LansdownFree fund dealing and investment ideasinteractive investorinteractive investorFlat-fee investing from £4.99 per monthFreetradeFreetradeInvesting Isa now free on basic planTrading 212Trading 212Free share dealing and no account feeAffiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. These deals are chosen by our editorial team, as we think they are worth highlighting. This does not affect our editorial independence.Compare the best investing account for you