43% of UK firms to redesign jobs around AI
Key Points
- Four in ten UK CEOs (43%) plan to redesign jobs to combine human and AI capabilities over the next three years, according to EY-Parthenon's 2026 CEO Outlook.
- 42% of UK chief executives will launch large-scale reskilling and upskilling programmes, and 38% will increase hiring for AI, data and digital roles.
- 74% of UK CEOs plan to raise AI investment in 2026 versus 2025, marking a shift from AI pilots to enterprise-wide deployment.
- 87% of UK CEOs expect M&A appetite to rise over the next 12 months, with 46% naming AI and technology capability as a top deal driver.
- The EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook surveyed 1,200 global CEOs including 100 in the UK between March and April 2026.
Four in ten UK employers plan to redesign jobs around AI over the next three years, according to a new EY-Parthenon survey of 100 UK chief executives.
The research found 43% of UK CEOs intend to restructure roles to combine human and AI capabilities, while 42% plan large-scale reskilling and upskilling programmes and 38% will increase hiring for AI, data and digital roles.
The shift comes as 74% of UK CEOs said they plan to raise AI investment in 2026 compared with 2025, signalling a move from pilot projects to enterprise-wide deployment.
CEOs identified strategy and decision-making (43%) and customer service and experience (37%) as the areas where AI has delivered the most measurable impact inside their organisations.
The workforce changes are being driven by the same investment cycle, with 85% of respondents saying they feel positive about their ability to invest in emerging technologies.
The survey also found UK business leaders are turning to dealmaking to accelerate the transition. Almost nine in ten UK CEOs (87%) expect M&A appetite to rise over the next 12 months, and 46% named enhancing technology or AI capabilities as a top consideration when assessing acquisitions or divestments. Over two-thirds (69%) said they are actively pursuing M&A activity in the year ahead.
“Alongside continued investment in technology, UK CEOs are increasingly focused on how human skills can be combined with technology to unlock the full value of AI,” said Silvia Rindone, EY UK&I Managing Partner for EY-Parthenon.
“The emphasis is now shifting towards redesigning roles, building new capabilities and developing operating models where human and AI strengths work together effectively.”
The findings sit against a backdrop of caution on other fronts. Over half (54%) of UK CEOs ranked geopolitical tensions, instability and conflict as a top-two business risk for the next 12 months, followed by cybersecurity (37%), macroeconomic volatility (26%) and talent shortages (21%).
Despite this, 87% said they were confident about the outlook for the year and 88% said disciplined growth mattered more than rapid market expansion in the current environment.
“This is not simply a reskilling challenge, but a strategic one,” Rindone said. “Organisations that invest early in talent, culture and leadership while using M&A activity to access technical expertise will be better placed to drive productivity gains, manage change and sustain long-term growth in an AI-enabled economy.”
