22 Jun 2026
New analysis finds jobs in Glasgow City Region (GCR) among the least at risk from AI automation in the UK and provides recommendations for policymakers to protect the local labour market and benefit from arising opportunities
The latest briefing from Glasgow City Region’s Intelligence Hub summarises current evidence on the impact of AI across the labour market, the public and private sectors, productivity, society and the environment, with a focus on what this means locally.
It highlights that just under half of jobs in the Region are exposed to AI automation, and moderate to higher-exposure roles such as admin, accounting and software development are facing the same risk as most other UK city regions.
However, due to a higher share of jobs here that AI is less likely to affect such as teachers, Glasgow City Region is less exposed than other UK Core city regions.
Analysis of performance within GCR shows East Renfrewshire has the highest overall proportion of jobs facing some level of AI risk, while West Dunbartonshire has the highest share of jobs facing a significant risk of being affected by AI, due to the concentration of admin roles.
Andrew Robertson, Head of Intelligence and Innovation at Glasgow City Region said:
“There is a real challenge in understanding how AI is going to affect the economy. It is too early for the impact to show up in data and there continues to be a lot of noise, with almost daily news.
Our AI briefing is an attempt to provide a comprehensive understanding using multiple sources and to consider what this might mean locally. The Intelligence Hub will continue to keep track and provide insight on this and other key aspects affecting the local economy.”
The briefing also highlights the many opportunities emerging including through new AI-specific jobs, thanks to productivity gains through boosted business processes and employment in some areas.
In fact, the number of jobs directly involving AI activities across the UK is projected to grow from 158,000 to almost 4 million by 2035.
It sets out a range of policy recommendations to protect and grow local jobs, focused on significant investment in skills across both AI, including basic AI use and digital literacy, and industries less likely to be impacted by AI such as health and social care.
Investment in AI skills is being pushed by both the Scottish and UK Governments, both of which are offering a range of free AI skills-building training for people and businesses.
The recommendations also include incentivising businesses to hire entry level workers and retrain employees; supporting AI adoption, particularly among SMEs; and exploring ways that AI could be implemented in sectors with limited use cases.
The briefing considers AI implemented in all levels of government across the UK, with promising signs of efficiency and service improvements in national and local governments, but with recognised challenges to AI implementation such as lack of skills, old technology, poor data, lack of funding and unclear governance.
AI adoption in the private sector is still low with only around one in five UK businesses using or planning to use it. The major reasons for businesses not using AI include lack of use cases, skills, and tools. There is also evidence of current holds on recruitment while businesses come to understand how to adopt AI in their processes.
AI is also bringing wider benefits to the Region which was designated an AI Growth Zone by the UK Government in January 2026, one of five in the UK.
A development in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire is set to become one of the world's most advanced AI sites. The move is expected to bring more than £8 billion in private investment to the area, coupled with a new community fund worth about £543 million over a 15-year period. The plan will bring 800 AI jobs, 50 apprenticeships, and 2,600 construction jobs to the area, with energy for the site coming from on-site renewables.
Read the full briefing online at: Intelligence Hub briefing on AI
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