61% of UK Workers Received No Training on AI Cyber Threats

A survey of 1,000 people in the UK found that 61% of workers received no training in the past 12 months on spotting AI-driven cyber threats, according to research by QA reported by TechRadar. The survey found that some workers who did receive training encountered AI threats only as part of general cybersecurity education.

QA said 22% of respondents reported that their organizations had no policies addressing phishing emails, deepfake voice scams or AI-generated fake invoices. Among non-management workers, 9% said they were very confident they could identify an AI-generated phishing email. The figure was 48% among owners and partners, and 33% among board directors.

Of workers who had received any training, 25% said it was dedicated to AI-driven threats, while 30% said those threats were covered in general cybersecurity training. QA said 70% had received no training or had only encountered AI threats through other forms of training.

QA’s Dr Vicky Crockett said organizations should build basic AI literacy and tailor additional training to specific roles. Jo Bishenden, QA’s chief learning officer, said the findings point to a skills challenge alongside a cybersecurity challenge. The survey also found that 39% of people aged 18–24 were worried about being caught out by AI-enabled threats. QA did not discuss whether respondents used AI tools to help identify attacks.