Microsoft UK CEO Shares how People can be Empowered with AI

AI was designed to enhance human activity – and it is helping areas of business flourish.

From accelerating mundane employee tasks to drastically increasing sales, AI is everywhere, but what if it’s evolving faster than we can keep up with?

A gap between AI’s development and humans' ability to harness it is increasing – and this gap is getting more difficult to close as AI transforms again and again.

Microsoft is a prime example of a company which is taking action against this problem, now investing in educating humans as part of a broader initiative to ensure the workforce can adapt to rapid technological change.

Darren Hardman, Microsoft’s UK Chief Executive Officer, reflects on agentic AI in particular and how people can be empowered to use it.

Copilot, agentic AI and education to empower people with AI

Microsoft has celebrated its 50th anniversary and launched a global AI Skills Fest alongside 50 days of learning programmes designed to address growing concerns about skills shortages in the labour market.

Darren points to research indicating significant economic potential for AI adoption, starting with a report from Public First, the independent consultancy, that found that AI implementation could boost the UK economy by £550bn (US$727bn) by 2035.

Microsoft’s action to upskill people comes as it continues to expand its Copilot offering, an AI assistant that helps users with tasks such as meeting summaries, document generation and email drafting through natural language processing.

Now it is advancing into agentic AI – where AI systems can take on more autonomous roles in completing tasks with minimal human supervision.

“AI skilling is core to Microsoft's mission to help every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more,” Darren says.

How Microsoft Copilot development addresses the ‘coming wave’ of AI adoption

Copilot, which launched less than three years ago, is evolving into what Microsoft describes as an active assistant capable of performing automated tasks across professional and personal environments.

This progression shows how AI interfaces with users, moving from tools that respond to prompts towards systems that can anticipate needs and complete multi-step processes independently.

Mustafa Suleyman, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft AI, describes this transition as a “coming wave” that requires adaptation in both skills and learning approaches – highlighting the expectation within Microsoft that agentic AI represents a fundamental shift in how organisations will interact with technology.

For organisations to benefit from these advances, Microsoft argues that workers must develop specific competencies, including prompt engineering – the technique of crafting effective text instructions for AI systems – and the ability to build automated workflows.

The urgency of this training is underscored by data from Microsoft and LinkedIn's Work Trends Index, which reveals that two-thirds of business leaders report they would not hire candidates lacking AI skills.

Despite this requirement, only a quarter of companies globally offer training on Gen AI usage.

Microsoft’s partnership delivering AI skills across educational spectrum

To achieve its target of training one million people, Microsoft has established partnerships with various educational and community organisations throughout the UK.

It is working with non-profit organisations including Generation and Catch 22 to provide AI skill development through bootcamps, workshops and training courses, with emphasis on participants from under-represented backgrounds.

“We’ve already equipped 1.5 million people with basic digital skills through our free Get On programme and we’ve committed to skilling up another one million with AI skills by the end of 2025,” Darren adds.

In the education sector, Microsoft has partnered with Luminate Education Group, which operates six colleges in West Yorkshire, to incorporate AI training into all courses.

This arrangement will provide skills development to tens of thousands of students and staff across the region.

Microsoft also maintains a relationship with University Academy 92, a higher education institution focused on serving young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It co-created UA92's computer science and digital curriculum and provides access to industry certifications, mentorship and hackathons – time-limited events where participants collaborate on software projects.

Microsoft has further developed initiatives targeting apprenticeships, recognising their role in workforce development.

During National Apprenticeship Week in January, the company additionally partnered with GetMyFirstJob to create an AI Skills for Life Assembly featuring

Microsoft apprentices, which was viewed by more than 30,000 students.

The firm works with learning partners including Multiverse, Corndel and QA to incorporate Copilot into apprenticeship programmes across various sectors.

Microsoft’s Ai123 campaign expanding training through volunteer network

Microsoft recently launched the Ai123 campaign in partnership with Neighbourly, a platform that connects businesses and communities for social initiatives.

This programme utilises volunteers from Microsoft and other companies such as Virgin Media O2 and Currys, along with Microsoft partners and customers, to provide AI skills training to employees and community members.

The company has also developed programmes targeting specific demographic groups, such as TechHer, which focuses on women in technology.

The scheme has provided digital skills training to 4,000 women across the public sector, with plans to reach an additional 6,000 in health and social care, government and retail during 2025.

Microsoft further maintains that AI should function as a democratising technology, with equal access and usage capabilities for all populations.

This position aligns with increasing concerns about potential inequality in AI benefits distribution across socioeconomic groups.

“I believe there's a huge well of untapped creativity and talent in the UK that AI can help us release,” Darren says.

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