Prize continues under new department

In a bid to spotlight AI use in UK organisations that “puts workers’ voices at the centre” of adoption policy, the former UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) launched the ‘AI Pro-worker’ prize in June 2026 during London Tech Week to recognise use in ways that empower employees.

Although DSIT was abolished in July, the prize very much remains a priority for the government. The responsible team is now part of the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

The prize’s aim is to raise UK organisations’ knowledge of pro-worker AI use-cases, by highlighting those whose use of AI is increasing worker productivity and capability, “creating new products or services in a way that boosts demand for human expertise.”

The government is looking to recognise AI use in the workplace that demonstrates an ability to perform a higher volume of tasks, accomplish entirely new tasks previously impossible, and conceive new jobs and tasks that did not exist prior to AI adoption.

Through the prize, the department is particularly keen to showcase organisations whose use of the technology “puts workers’ voices at the centre of AI adoption,” it said in its launch statement.

Shortlist and winners to showcase good practice

The prize and judging panel is chaired by the Nobel Prize winning economist Simon Johnson and will promote a nominated top-50 shortlist of UK organisations for “exemplary adoption” of pro-worker AI, which will be published on the government website.

There will be three overall winners chosen, for which two business school professors - David Shrier of Imperial College London and Youngjin Yoo of the London School of Economics, will publish detailed case studies with teaching notes on the organisations’ pro-worker AI strategies, and which will be freely licensed to universities around the world.

Who can nominate and deadline

Nominations - one per organisation - are open to UK businesses, charities and public sector organisations, who are users, and not just developers of AI. Nominated organisations must have at least five employees based in the UK. Firms, workers, trade unions, investors and industry bodies can nominate themselves or other organisations for the prize on the government (GOV.uk) website, detailing how the organisation’s AI adoption benefits the workers.

Nominations close at 23:55 on 30 September 2026. No date for announcing the winners has been published yet.