The technology secretary has announced the launch of a new cross-government unit which will research and monitor AI’s economic and labour market impacts to provide timely advice on when new policies should be implemented.
The AI and the Future of Work Unit will be supported by a panel of experts from business and trade unions, including Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy.
Announcing the unit on Wednesday, the Department of Science, Innovation and technology and Skills England said it will ensure the AI transition “boosts economic growth, supports workers to adapt, protects communities from the mistakes of past industrial change, and delivers a fair, dignified future of work for everyone, where people are supported into better jobs in a more productive economy”.
The unit will also lead across government on the AI and the Future of Work Programme, which will prepare the UK for AI-driven labour market transformation.
The government also announced that it will fund training in AI for every adult in the UK, with the Department for Work and Pensions and Department for Education this week joining the ranks of organisations who are are developing the training which is accessible on the government's AI Skills Hub.
Science, innovation and technology secretary Liz Kendall said: “We want AI to work for Britain, and that means ensuring Britons can work with AI. Change is inevitable, but the consequences of change are not. We will protect people from the risks of AI while ensuring everyone can share in its benefits.
“That starts with giving people the skills and confidence they need to seize the opportunities AI brings, putting the power and control into their hands.”
An expert panel of industry, academia, civil society and trade unions – including Clancy – will provide strategic insight to its work, support external collaboration, and seek to enable the effective delivery of the work programme.
Clancy said: “The world of work is changing rapidly, with AI and other technologies altering the content, nature, and pace of work in almost every corner of the economy.
“Workers can benefit from this transition, but only if steps are taken to prepare people and organisations for change, and if the workforce is given a real voice in the process. We also need a coordinated workforce plan to make sure short-term AI-related job cuts, particularly in lower level or graduate jobs, do not leave us with higher level skills shortages further down the line.
“Prospect are proud to represent some of the most skilled workers in Britain, including in tech and many of the industries that will power future economic growth, and I’m delighted to have been asked to serve on this panel and contribute our expertise on this subject. I hope we can help the government to be on the front foot and work with them to ensure working people share in the benefits of the AI revolution.”