Former Treasury minister Darren Jones has warned that the rapid rise of artificial intelligence could wipe out everyday office jobs unless the government intervenes to regulate the technology boom. Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, the Labour MP for Bristol North West said politicians in parliament are moving "too slow" to keep up with the threat to British workers.
Warning Over Job Losses
Jones cautioned that if corporate bosses are left to their own devices, administrators, receptionists and university graduates could be thrown onto the scrapheap to cut costs. "If you just leave it to the market and businesses say, 'I'm going to implement this technology and now I don't need my administrators or receptionists,' then suddenly all those people will lose their jobs," he said.
"There will be some new jobs created, but I don't think there will be enough to match the number of people in the labour market." The MP added that the sudden wave of layoffs could push struggling families to the brink if they are left unable to pay their monthly mortgages.
Potential for Four-Day Week
Jones insisted there is a massive silver lining for British workers if ministers step in before it's too late, predicting a four-day work week could become the norm within ten years. "I think that would be a really positive thing actually," he said. "If people have a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off, I think that sounds really good. It’s more time with your kids, more time to do the washing or the gardening or whatever you do with your time."
He insisted that the dream of having Fridays off permanently could easily become a reality, so long as politicians "put their foot down" to make sure bosses don't use the tech takeover to slash pay packets. Jones also warned that getting the issue wrong could be "really bad for the British economy" and could "usher in populist politics."
