Interest in AI has erupted since the November 2022 launch of Open AI’s ChatGPT. Of course, it wasn’t the first of its kind; AI’s roots can be traced back to the nascent days of computing.
That longevity means the UK has an AI workforce of over 360,000, with the artificial intelligence tech market worth around £16bn, according to the US International Trade Administration––and this is expected to grow to more than £760bn by 2035.
Britain has twice the number of AI-based companies than any European nation, and the number of UK AI companies here has increased by 688% over the last ten years––some figures put the number of AI firms at 3,170 in 2022.
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Around one in six UK organisations have embraced at least one AI technology too, according to government research.
But until fairly recently, there is a significant gap between the industry itself and end user awareness.
Now though, the rubicon has been crossed, and according to Slack’s recent global Workforce Index, which included 1,042 UK respondents, workplace AI usage has surged by 66% since September 2023, with 18% of that number achieved since the start of 2024.
Additionally, 44% of UK office workers are enthusiastic about using AI in their daily work. Given that, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that savvy employees have cottoned onto generative AI’s capabilities around a whole host of areas.
From creating emails to planning marketing campaigns, you can also use it as a search engine for research or to analyse data. And increasingly, UK workers are using it to help them get a leg up in the job searching market.
So much so, that a survey of 2,500 UK workers from HR firm Beamery found that 46% are using generative AI to search and apply for jobs.
AI job hunting don’ts
But there’s a right and a wrong way to do this, says UK fintech Monzo. At the end of July, the company published a blog post with guidance for potential applicants.
“We think there are lots of benefits associated with AI, but we have a human approach to hiring,” the copy states, adding “if you are planning to use any AI tools, we encourage you to use them effectively.”
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To that end, Monzo suggests that adopting AI for information gathering, research and market trends, or as a preparation tool for interviews are good use cases.
Here’s what you shouldn’t be doing, according to the company. Copying and pasting answers from ChatGPT or similar tools is a definite no-no. “Don’t provide answers from AI tools that do not reflect your own work and experience”, the fintech says. “We are trying to assess you.”
This only makes sense, as does Monzo’s request that candidates do not use AI to answer questions live in an interview. It also cautions against inputting confidential information about either yourself or a company into an AI tool.
Savvy workers will understand that generative AI platforms are instruments they can use as part of their job hunt, as well as in their wider working lives. But they should only be used for assistance and not relied on for all the heavy lifting of a job search.
Monzo sums it up: “We think a good rule of thumb when using AI in your application is: Refine, not replace”. Wise words to job hunt by.
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