Help map AI’s impact on work

The RSA is launching a project to track how AI is reshaping jobs and skills across the UK – and we need Fellows’ insight to paint the full picture. 

Artificial Intelligence is transforming our working lives at extraordinary speed. As some of the most curious minds across the globe, RSA Fellows are hungry for insights into this change. And, as a home for ideas and innovation for more than 270 years, the RSA is uniquely positioned to develop solutions that harness AI for societal good.

We’ll continue our tradition of convening important thinkers, activists and policymakers to debate AI’s opportunities and challenges. On 5 February, for instance, we will mark a new partnership with The Observer by hosting its journalists and editor in chief to discuss key AI-related data trends and what they mean for all of us. 

But the RSA is also committed to matching ideas with action. We are well-positioned to contribute through our impact programmes, while the collective creativity, expertise and experience of our Fellowship offers unique perspectives.  

That is why we are inviting Fellows to participate in a groundbreaking project on AI and the future of work. 

AI’s workplace impact 

The project will examine how AI is affecting work: which tasks are being impacted, how they are changing, and what new skills are needed to navigate this transformation.  

We’ll start by examining the rapidly expanding set of projections for AI’s effect on jobs and skills. The Institute for Public Policy Research, for example, estimates that more than half of everyday work tasks in the UK could be replaced by generative AI, putting as many as eight million jobs at risk.  

Through our Social Value Commission, in partnership with Thames Freeport, we will build on this research using our Opportunity Escalator analytical toolkit to create detailed estimations of AI’s effects on local jobs and the skills they require. 

Why we need Fellows’ voices 

There is much work underway to test these projections and track impact in real time. Organisations from McKinsey & Co to the Office for National Statistics are running surveys to capture the extent of AI adoption. But painting an accurate picture is proving difficult. Studies are often not timely enough, too US-focused for UK purposes, rely on narrow perspectives (exclusively senior management or particular firm types) or lack the scale to describe how effects vary over time or across industries and job types. 

The RSA Fellowship offers something different. Numbering tens of thousands, Fellows are drawn from diverse industries, work in organisations of all sizes, and perform many types of roles. The Fellowship is also rich in AI expertise, from industry leaders to members of our Responsible AI Network. This size and variety means we can capture detailed insights that others struggle to secure. 

How Fellows can participate  

We are partnering with two Fellow-run companies – Treehouse Consultancy and Bathwick Group – to deliver the Fellow-focused element of this project. Participation will involve a short survey, focus groups across the UK, and the option to submit longer-form reflections. We hope Fellows’ curiosity and commitment will deliver the largest possible pool of participants. 

Combining the projections from our Social Value Commission with results from this Fellow-focused project will paint a unique and detailed picture of how – and how quickly – AI is impacting jobs across UK industries and its likely effect on skills demand. This will serve as a basis for discussion and debate at the RSA and beyond, and could catalyse further work on the topic. 

Data gathering will take place between January and March 2026, with publication of results and associated events provisionally scheduled for April and May.  

This is an opportunity for the Fellowship to contribute unique insights into one of the defining challenges of our time. We look forward to working with you. 

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