London Risks ‘Mass Unemployment’ Over AI Boom, Mayor Warns

London mayor Sadiq Khan on Thursday joined the chorus of warnings on the impact of artificial intelligence for jobs, saying that the UK capital risks “an era of mass unemployment”.

The Labour mayor’s comments are to be included in a London speech late Thursday outlining the opportunities and risks posed by AI.

With the UK capital home to a large number of finance, professional services, and creative jobs, London is “at the sharpest edge of change”, Khan was to say, according to excerpts of the speech sent to the media.

Khan will point also to “huge potential benefits” of the technology if used responsibly, as he unveils a review into its impact on the capital’s jobs market alongside free AI training for millions of Londoners.

He will urge swift action to harness those benefits before the technology “becomes a weapon of mass destruction of jobs”.

The debate continues over whether AI will destroy jobs, with answers remaining elusive.

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office on Thursday said that “AI is going to reshape the world of work”.

A Downing Street spokesperson added: “Some jobs will be… more impacted than others, but the new roles and opportunities it will create is something that we will embrace.”

The United Nations recently warned that AI and automation could exacerbate global labour market challenges, particularly for educated young people in wealthier countries seeking their first high-skill jobs.

Most forecasts see gradual change.

Management consultancy McKinsey recently forecast that 30 percent of US jobs could be automated by 2030, with 60 per cent significantly altered.

Analysts from US research firm Gartner have suggested that AI will create more jobs than it eliminates by 2027.

AFP