Kanishka Narayan, appointed AI minister by Andy Burnham in July, emphasized the need for the UK government to consider the potential impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the job market. During a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference, Narayan stated that while there is currently no evidence of an overall job reduction due to AI, it is crucial to prepare for worst-case scenarios. He remarked, "If it's going to hit us in a big way, you are going to want to be as ahead of the curve as possible."
Carsten Jung from the IPPR think tank indicated that in a worst-case scenario, approximately 8 million jobs could be negatively affected by AI. He noted that while the current level of AI adoption in industry is not high, it could have a more significant impact on the labor market than the industrial revolution. Jung acknowledged that previous predictions by the IPPR were somewhat inaccurate but maintained that AI has rapidly evolved to handle more complex tasks.
According to Jung, about 11% of jobs in the UK are highly exposed to replacement by AI chatbots, particularly in secretarial and administrative roles. He suggested that this proportion could rise to about 60% of tasks across the UK economy with the advancement of more sophisticated AI. He urged the government to prepare for retraining service sector workers and to consider measures that could slow down the transition to automation, such as redesigning tax structures to favor retaining workers.
Jung also highlighted that women are 40% more exposed to the threat of AI due to their higher representation in service jobs. Narayan added that the impact of AI may have been underestimated because of its silent adoption by workers, which is not reflected in industry surveys. He noted that while UK firms reported no aggregate impact on the labor market, some companies had hired fewer employees due to automation.
Narayan expressed his commitment to ensuring that workers have a voice in the transition to AI and promised improved transparency regarding AI adoption and its productivity gains. He mentioned that one of his top priorities is to develop contingency plans in case job losses are significant, which could involve changes to labor market policy and regulation.
Mike Clancy, general secretary of the Prospect trade union, welcomed the government's commitment to worker involvement but cautioned against creating conditions that could harm workers due to AI.
In a related context, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband warned against relying solely on tech companies to manage the safety risks associated with AI. He argued that history shows corporations prioritize profit over public interest, stating, "We cannot and will not allow that to come at the expense of our children or indeed humanity." Miliband emphasized the need for the UK to confront the urgent risks posed by AI, leveraging its G20 presidency to lead efforts in managing AI safely.