Digital labour offers a whole new model for growth for UK businesses, thanks in part to the advances in agentic AI.
It’s not hard to see why. With this the technology, organisations can deploy fully autonomous AI agents that act, decide and drive positive outcomes 24/7 without human handholding.
Digital labour means humans and agents working together to drive success, with benefits from dramatic productivity gains to significantly happier customers.
The ROI could be enormous. AI is set to have a monumental economic impact in the UK, with projections suggesting a market of over US$1 trillion by 2035.
The UK is one of the best places to realise this AI opportunity. According to Salesforce’s UK AI Readiness Index, the country is largely ahead of many other countries when it comes to the ability to adopt, deploy and integrate AI, scoring above the G7 average.
But adapting to digital labour in the workforce isn’t straightforward. We must consider everything from compliance and risk management to people, processes, culture and organisational structure.
In the months ahead, helping people adopt new ways of working – and ultimately addressing resistance to change – will be paramount
Each business’ success will depend on equipping people with the tools and knowledge they need to use AI agents confidently to redefine business processes. Here are seven must-have skills in your business for realising growth with digital labour.
Skill one: Understanding agentic AI
It sounds simple, but developing a foundational grasp of AI – and specifically agentic AI – makes it much easier to work with. Start with the definition of agentic AI, including how it differs from previous forms of the technology, as well as the process agents follow to solve complex problems.
From there, it’s much easier to see what AI agents can and can’t do – and the ways they will support and augment (rather than replace) human workers.
Skill two: Data literacy
Being data literate simply means understanding the basics of how data is structured and how it’s used. Realistically, it’s a skill almost everyone should master today – whether for their professional lives or at home.
AI is only ever as good as the data it accesses, so understanding that data is vital for using and interpreting AI outputs. We should all learn about different types of data, how it’s gathered and interpretation methods, such as spotting trends and asking questions.
Skill three: Prompt engineering
Prompt engineering – otherwise known as conversational design – is like having a chat with AI. These systems work best when given clear instructions – and asked questions in the right way. That means clearly defining what’s needed, providing context and setting boundaries.
Understanding how prompt engineering works is powerful for every employee, no matter how technical their role.
Skill four: Judging the credibility of an answer
AI can’t always be trusted at face value – and sometimes the challenge is unpicking information that sounds convincing, but isn’t entirely accurate. For digital labour to succeed, humans must learn how to assess the relevance and accuracy of outputs, as well as identifying potential biases. This is critical thinking in action.
AI can do great things. Knowing how to evaluate responses critically, verify facts and stay aware of possible inaccuracies will ensure that people make informed, confident decisions.
Skill five: Knowing what AI is for
Digital labour is about getting the best out of people – and AI isn’t the answer to every challenge. It’s in the repetitive, time-consuming and data-heavy business processes that AI shines, and where agents will have a critical role to play.
That means employees today need the skills to know which business processes can be redefined with agentic AI versus those that aren’t ready yet.
For example, deploying AI agents to respond to data-driven customer queries – like order modifications or technical troubleshooting – while ensuring the right processes are in place to escalate when human intervention is needed.
As we look at the next wave of business transformation, teams must understand what AI is good at – and what it’s not good at. Then it will be easier to assign away the busy work and redesign processes to focus on higher value activities.
Skill six: Adaptability and ongoing learning
One of the most important skills for working in a changing workplace is adaptability. Agentic AI – and all other technology – is always evolving. It’s up to all of us to be flexible and continuously upskill to keep pace, using the resources on offer from employers as well as external training. This kind of growth mindset and lifelong learning has benefits throughout our careers.
Skill seven: Ethical judgement
Ethics must never be an afterthought when it comes to AI. Every system is built by humans and influenced by their biases. How and where AI is used is also incredibly important. It’s critical that every person using the technology understands its ethical implications – and can make ongoing decisions on how to use it responsibly.
Sharing the benefits of digital labour
Employees, as much as businesses, can benefit significantly from digital labour. By design, agentic AI can take on the mundane, repetitive tasks that humans are less good at – and free them up to complete higher value, more rewarding work.
Change is almost always unsettling. But by upskilling and educating the workforce on what AI actually does and how to use it today, we can help to show its true value – in augmenting human potential, and making work better for everyone.
As business leaders, it’s up to us to deliver on the promise and benefits of AI, provide the training needed and create a positive new model for the UK workforce.
