Launching the Anthropic Economic Futures Programme in the UK and Europe

AI adoption is increasing rapidly in Europe and the UK, but the conversation about how to manage its effects on labor and the economy is still at a very early stage. This matters: the decisions politicians make today will affect the continent’s labor force, productivity, and growth for years to come.

We want to help researchers, policymakers, and practitioners tackle this topic head-on. To that end, we’re expanding our Economic Futures Programme to the UK and Europe, starting with a symposium at the London School of Economics and Political Science with more to follow.

Building on our US launch , the Economic Futures Programme includes research grants and Claude credits for UK and EU researchers, forums like the Symposium for evaluating AI policy, and the provision of additional, more granular data about actual AI use in these countries.

AI could compress decades’ worth of technological change into just a few years. The Anthropic Economic Index , which examines the use of Claude in the real world, reveals that AI adoption is already widespread in industries throughout the UK and Europe. Across the continent, Claude is most often used for coding. In the UK, though—and perhaps fittingly for a country with some of the oldest universities in the world—the most common use of Claude is support for academic research, writing, and educational content. In Germany, data shows Claude is bolstering local manufacturing, with especially high per capita use for calibrating, troubleshooting, and repairing equipment. And in France, Claude is supporting the country’s culture and tourism, with four times the global average use for information about dining, shopping and the nightlife.

The rapid adoption of AI demands a thoughtful policy response. To inform this, we hope to provide the data—and prompt some of the ideas—that will help British and European policymakers make informed decisions about this potential workforce transition.

The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Anthropic Economic Futures Symposium will gather over a hundred experts from government, academia, and civil society to discuss AI's economic impact. Researchers selected through LSE’s and Anthropic’s open-call process will present policy proposals to inform conversations across both the UK and Europe.

"The LSE has been on the forefront of economic research for over a century, making it an ideal partner as we bring together researchers, industry leaders, and policymakers to study the effects of AI," said Peter McCrory, Head of Economics at Anthropic. "Europe has a unique opportunity to develop approaches to AI adoption that drive growth and productivity while delivering those gains across the labor market. By combining rigorous research with practical policy recommendations, we can prepare for what’s ahead."