In his annual Mansion House speech, London Mayor Sadiq Khan is set to urge ministers to take action to mitigate the “colossal” impact that artificial intelligence (AI) could have on jobs in the capital. The mayor will warn that unless steps are taken, AI could “usher in a new era of mass unemployment” by destroying swathes of jobs, particularly in the finance, creative, and professional services sectors.
Khan will argue that the UK and other countries have been too slow to respond to the rapid technological changes, pointing to the growth of social media leading to a youth mental health crisis, a surge in online abuse, and a dangerous rise in misinformation. He will say that “we have a moral, social and economic duty to act” to ensure that new jobs are created to replace those that will disappear, with entry-level and junior roles being the first to go.
The mayor plans to highlight research suggesting that 70% of skills in the average job will have changed by 2030. However, he also sees significant potential benefits from AI, arguing that it could “transform our public services, turbocharge productivity and tackle some of our most complex challenges”.
To assess the impact of AI on London’s job market, City Hall is launching a taskforce with expertise from the government, businesses, and the AI sector. The taskforce will also offer free AI training for Londoners. According to City Hall polling, more than half of workers in London expect AI to affect their jobs in some way over the next 12 months.
Across the UK, up to 3 million low-skilled jobs in trades, machine operations, and administrative roles could disappear by 2035 due to automation and AI, according to a report by the National Foundation for Educational Research. However, some experts and analysts have expressed mixed views on the extent to which AI could replace human labour, with studies finding that AI has a lower success rate on complex tasks and those requiring a university education.
The mayor will argue that the UK and other countries have been too slow to respond to new technology in the past, and that the growth of social media has led to a youth mental health crisis, a surge in online abuse, and a dangerous rise in misinformation. He will warn the assembled business leaders that if AI is used recklessly, it will “usher in a new era of mass unemployment”.
