Grapple Law has released new legal data showing that more UK employees are losing their jobs in cases that involve AI. The new figures from one of the UK’s largest employment firms acting for individuals show a steep rise in job loss cases that are connected to artificial intelligence implementation in the workplace.
Grapple Law has revealed that employment law cases citing AI have risen from 0.07% 4 years ago to over 1.18% today. That means that one in every 85 claims now relates to artificial intelligence, and the figure is growing fast.
Founder of Grapple Law, Alex Monaco, said the following:
“We’ve been astonished by the changes that are now occurring in the British workplace due to AI. While the data is still coming in, it appears as if tens of thousands of employees are potentially being laid off in circumstances relating to artificial intelligence. In 2023, AI was mentioned in just 0.07% of cases, but that rose to 0.17% of cases in 2024, 0.57% of cases in 2025 and 1.18% of cases to the end of June 2026.”
According to the recently released report, 2026 is already a record year for employment law cases involving AI. With more than half the year still to run, the number of incidents has overtaken all of 2025 and may eclipse the total number of AI-related cases on record. If the pace continues, the number of cases being brought forward will be more than 30 times 2023’s level.
Three years ago, the odds of an employee raising AI during an employment case were rare, only occurring in about one in 1400 cases. That figure is now closer to one in 85, as AI is increasingly being used as a reason for replacement.
This takes various forms according to Grapple Law. In some companies, roles are being reduced or redefined because tasks can now be automated with AI. In other cases, AI-based algorithms are deciding directly who should keep their job and who should go. Software can now rank and flag employees based on performance data and provide this information to managers, who can then make hiring and firing decisions. Lastly, machine errors are causing some employees to be wrongly flagged for removal.
However, Grapple Law is keen to highlight that mentioning AI in an employment case is not proof that artificial intelligence has cost somebody their job. Workplaces are complicated, and many dismissals can tangentially involve AI, even if the technology isn’t the primary cause of job loss.
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