Technology secretary Liz Kendall has insisted that Labour will make artificial intelligence ‘work for workers’, and not abandon people whose jobs are swept away by its rapid advance. With public fears mounting about the impact of AI on employment, particularly for young people, Kendall claimed that the government could shape the way it is adopted.
“We’ve got to make sure AI enhances work: that we help people through the jobs transition, and we’re not like the Tories, who just leave people to cope on their own,” she said. Kendall highlighted adjustments to the government’s £187m TechFirst AI training scheme, so that 40% of the 1 million children it aims to reach will be in disadvantaged schools.
She also launched two schemes in the north-east and north-west of England to deliver summer skills camps for young people not in education, employment or training (Neets), or at risk of it. These schemes, delivered in collaboration with businesses, initially offer 60 places in the north-west and 20 in the north-east, with plans to scale up. The north-east scheme is funded by Labour’s Youth Guarantee.
Kendall played down fears of mass job losses, stating: “Jobs will be created. Jobs will change. And some jobs will go. That is what happens with the introduction of every general purpose technology.” The Commons science, innovation and technology committee called this week for the government to cancel a big contract with US tech company Palantir on digitising the NHS, but Kendall said a decision would be made by the new health secretary.
On the government’s consultation on banning social media for under-16s, Kendall declined to be drawn, but stressed ministers had been looking at wider issues including how children interact with chatbots.
