How generative AI is reshaping the UK workplace – 5 key takeaways from CLA’s latest webinar

June 5, 2025 By Rebecca Owen

Generative AI has rapidly shifted from emerging tech to essential tool, but are UK workplaces ready for the copyright and compliance risks that come with it?

In our latest webinar, CLA’s Research & Insights Manager, Tom Cantle, shared findings from a recent survey of nearly 4,000 UK professionals. Paired with live poll results from webinar attendees, these findings paint a striking picture of generative AI’s growing influence, and why organisations need to get ahead of the legal curve.

Ossie Ikeogu, Head of Growth and Renewals at CLA, followed up with an overview of how CLA’s new workplace generative AI permissions are helping businesses respond to this fast-moving shift legally and confidently.

Here are five key takeaways

1. Generative AI is now part of everyday work

In our webinar poll, 76% of attendees said they occasionally or regularly use generative AI tools at work, and CLA’s national research showed that 63% of private sector workers already use generative AI, with 71% expecting to by the end of 2025.

The takeaway? Generative AI is no longer niche. It is reshaping day-to-day workflows across marketing, IT, comms, and beyond, meaning that organisations require clear guardrails in place.

That’s why CLA has introduced new workplace permissions under its Business, Law, Public Administration and Pharmaceutical licences. As Ossie Ikeogu explained, these allow organisations to legally use content from opted-in publications when prompting generative AI tools, covering common workplace uses like drafting, summarising, and analysing content.

2. People are using multiple tools, often paid-for

UK professionals typically use 2 – 3 different generative AI tools, with ChatGPT the most common, followed by Copilot and Gemini. Interestingly, two-thirds of users are on paid plans, indicating serious, sustained workplace use.

But while the tools are multiplying, only 1% of webinar poll respondents said they were unsure what generative AI even is, showing fast-growing awareness, if not always understanding.

3. AI boosts efficiency, creativity and productivity

In CLA’s research, more than 80% of private sector users said generative AI improves their performance, from streamlining admin to boosting creativity.

Common tasks included:

Summarising reports and technical documents
Drafting presentations or web copy
Analysing industry insights
Refining third-party content

But this increased use also raises questions around compliance. CLA’s new permissions ensure organisations can do all this legally, while respecting rightsholders and avoiding copyright infringement.

4. But copyright awareness has not kept up

Despite widespread use, only 24% of private sector generative AI users say they have a strong understanding of policies surrounding how copyright applies to generative AI tools.

In the live webinar poll:

56% of attendees said they often consider copyright when using generative AI,
But 17% admitted they rarely or never think about it, and
3% weren’t even sure it applied.

The risk? People are inputting or resharing third-party content with little knowledge of what’s allowed, potentially exposing themselves and their employers to potential legal pitfalls.

This highlights a clear gap, and why CLA’s permissions, combined with internal guidance and good governance, are essential to reduce risk. Licensing alone isn’t enough, but it’s a key part of building responsible generative AI frameworks.

5. Sharing AI outputs is common

In the private sector, more than 80% of generative AI users use third-party materials in prompts weekly, and over half share AI-generated outputs.
Even more notably, nearly half say they have shared outputs externally, with 28% uploading to publicly available websites.

As Ossie explained, CLA’s workplace permissions cover internal use (like meetings, reports, training materials) and some external uses, such as content drafted for websites or regulatory submissions, giving professionals confidence in how they apply generative AI at work.

Bonus poll insight: Many organisations are now building their own generative AI tools

Meanwhile, many organisations are moving ahead with internal generative AI development.

In our poll:

15% of attendees said they already have in-house generative AI tools in development or in use
A further 28% are either planning to or exploring the idea

If you’re building your own AI model or tool, CLA’s upcoming Generative AI Training Licence will help ensure you are accessing text-based content lawfully and remunerating rightsholders. Subscribe to our newsletters to stay up to date on the development of this licence.

Missed the webinar?

You can still catch the full session on demand, including deeper insights into how the CLA workplace generative AI permissions help organisations stay compliant while unlocking the benefits of generative AI at work.

Request the on-demand webinar now