Ayre Index: UK named fourth for AI readiness

November 6, 2026

Britain has beaten Canada, India and New Zealand to finish fourth in a major new ranking of the Commonwealth countries best placed to help young people benefit from artificial intelligence – with the researchers calculating that AI could increase the level of British GDP by £95 billion after ten years.

The Ayre Index, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, gives Britain 70.8 out of 100. Only Singapore, Malta and Australia rank higher, while Canada finishes fifth, New Zealand ninth and India 11th.

It places Britain among just five Commonwealth countries to score 70 or above and comfortably ahead of the study’s readiness benchmark of 53. Only 15 of the Commonwealth’s 56 countries meet that benchmark, while 41 fall below it.

Research by the Ayre Think Tank, founded by Antiguan-Canadian philanthropist Calvin Ayre, also identifies the Commonwealth's largest potential AI economic gain. Using scenarios developed by the International Monetary Fund, researchers calculate that AI could make Britain's economy approximately £95 billion (US$126.1 billion) larger after ten years. The figure ranges from £48.1 billion under the most conservative scenario to £141.2 billion under the most optimistic.

Britain’s fourth-place ranking reflects strong foundations for its 12.7 million young people aged 15 to 29, including widespread access to technology, high levels of digital skills and comparatively good conditions for turning those capabilities into employment and business opportunities. It scores 9.3 out of 10 for meaningful access to technology and 8.9 for digital, data, media and AI capability, with comparatively strong results for rights, safety and participation.

Yet Britain's impressive ranking hides a surprising weakness. Despite its technological advantages, the country scores just 4.7 out of 10 for purposeful AI use and creation – the lowest among the Commonwealth's ten leading countries. Only 31.5% of young respondents reported using AI for their studies, highlighting the challenge of turning access to the technology into practical skills and opportunities.

Education is another area where Britain has room to improve. The UK scores 5.5 out of 10 for education and training, compared with Singapore's 7.8. Just 17.4% of 15-year-olds surveyed said their school lessons often involved assessing information produced by AI chatbots, the lowest proportion among the countries examined. Separate research found only 35% of secondary teachers in England had received training in generative AI by early 2025.

Calvin Ayre, founder of the Ayre Think Tank, said: 'I’ve spent my life in businesses where new technology changes everything, and I know you can’t stand still. AI is going to change how we work, how we do business and how wealth is created. But this is not a race that only the biggest or richest countries can win. What matters is giving young people the skills and the chance to get ahead – whether to start businesses, find jobs or build something for themselves. Some Commonwealth countries are ahead, others have catching up to do. Nobody can afford to be complacent. That’s why we created this Index. It shows countries where they stand, what they’re getting right and where they need to do better. Governments now have to decide what they’re going to do about it.'

Britain is already taking steps to address these challenges. In October 2026, the government announced 10,000 new work experience placements in the technology sector, alongside an ambition to give one million young people access to AI and technology learning through its TechFirst programme by 2028. The initiatives underline the importance of turning Britain's technological strengths into practical skills, better jobs and economic growth.

The White Paper identifies five priorities: affordable and reliable access to technology; education that develops practical skills; stronger routes from training into employment and enterprise; AI tools suited to local languages and needs; and safeguards that enable young people to question automated decisions.

It calls on governments, educators and development partners to better understand the particular barriers young people face in each country before deciding where investment can make the greatest impact.

Professor C. Justin Robinson, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of the University of the West Indies, Five Islands Campus, said: 'We need to make sure that the next generation will be able to do more than just consume AI products made elsewhere. Access must come with its own agency and a real equitable stake in how these systems are governed. Young people should be equipped to question these new tools, to improve them and to be supported in building alternatives suited to their own needs. Whether that happens, however, will depend on choices made now. This index gives us a clearer view of where those choices are most urgent. We should use it.'

Scoring coverage is the number of the 102 scored indicators with a usable value, including permitted estimates. The Data Gap Index is a separate weighted measure of missing qualifying evidence across all 111 indicators.