Issue 7_Focus from the AOP_July 2026_FINAL - Flipbook - Page 25
The AOP’s priority remains firmly on copyright & AI and engagement with Parliamentarians and the UK Government.
DOWNLOAD THE ASSOCIATION OF PHOTOGRAPHERS POSITION ON:
AI GENERATIVE CONTENT PROGRAMMES + TEXT & DATA MINING
New ONS Stats show impact on
Visual and Design Roles
A recent report published by the ONS (Office of National
Statistics), on 20 July, evidenced how UK businesses are
applying artificial intelligence (AI - as reported by the FT).
The ONS reports that 'over half of businesses report
effects on creative or design roles when using visual
content AI technologies'. The report suggests there is
limited evidence of AI hitting overall employment, as yet.
However, creative and design roles were an exception,
with businesses using AI for visual content creation more
likely to say there had been an impact on jobs.
Figure 9 – from the report - shows that AI used for visual
content creation is most strongly associated with creative
or design roles, with over half of businesses using visual
content creation AI reporting impacts in these functions.
This supports the impact we have shared with
government from our 2025 & 2026 surveys.
Image processing using machine learning is associated
with comparatively high reported impacts across most
role types; 53% of businesses using image processing
technologies report impacts on administrative or clerical
roles and creative or design roles.
AOP BUSINESS & LEGAL
