Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has unveiled a London taskforce on artificial intelligence (AI) and the future of work, during his annual Mansion House speech.

Recognising the need for urgent action to prevent mass unemployment in London, he also announced free AI training for Londoners.

Khan warned that unless urgent action is taken, the advent of AI would cause immense damage to the capital. He called for a collaborative effort to shape the AI revolution and harness the potential positives to ensure it benefits rather than damages society.

A poll by City Hall found that over half of London workers expect AI to impact their job in some way in the next 12 months.

“It feels as though the ground beneath our feet is shifting,” said Khan. “Artificial intelligence is beginning to cause tectonic movements in our markets, industries and workplaces. We can hear the low rumbling of a new technological revolution, but we don’t yet know what course it will take.”

Mirroring the government’s view on the opportunity AI presents for the UK, he said it could transform public services, turbocharge productivity, and tackle complex challenges such as cancer care and the climate crisis.

However, Khan warned: “Used recklessly, it could usher in a new era of mass unemployment, accelerated inequality and an unprecedented concentration of wealth and power. Neither is an inevitability, but one thing’s for sure: we mustn’t drift, absentmindedly, into a future we didn’t ask for and don’t want. We need to wake up and make a choice: seize the potential of AI and use it as a superpower for positive transformation and creation, or surrender to it, and sit back and watch as it becomes a weapon of mass destruction of jobs.”

LinkedIn’s Work change report, which looks at the impact of AI in the workplace, says that by 2030, 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change, with AI emerging as a catalyst. The report’s authors note that there has been a 140% increase in the pace at which LinkedIn members add new skills to their profiles since 2022. This includes an uptick in technical skills and a rise in uniquely human skills such as communication and leadership.

LinkedIn’s headline figures from the report shows that over half of CEOs expect a 10% uptick in their organisation’s performance thanks to the use of generative AI technology.

Khan wrote on X: “The impact of AI on London’s jobs market will be seismic. Some of our biggest sectors (e.g. creative, financial) rank among the most likely to be affected.”

He said the taskforce seeks to understand the impact AI will have on jobs in London, and identify the skills Londoners need to move into future roles and how London can stay competitive in a global job market.

Khan also said political leaders have a responsibility to protect people against the dangers of new technology. He added that policymakers need to learn from the mistakes that have been made in failing to shape and regulate the digital revolution.

“Our new AI skills course will be available to any Londoner who’d like to learn AI skills, and it’ll be completely free – because everyone should be able to share in the benefits of this technology,” said Khan. “It’s up to us to make sure AI delivers the brighter future we all want to see.”

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