TLDR: A recent poll commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) reveals that over half (51%) of UK adults are concerned about artificial intelligence affecting their jobs, fearing job losses or altered working conditions. The TUC has launched a “worker first” AI strategy, advocating for government intervention, worker involvement in AI rollout, and a “digital dividend” from productivity gains to ensure a fair transition.
More than half of adult citizens in the United Kingdom, specifically 51%, are apprehensive about the potential ramifications of artificial intelligence on their employment, according to a recent poll conducted for the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The survey, which questioned 2,600 adults, highlighted job losses and changes to terms and conditions as the primary worries. This concern is particularly pronounced among younger workers aged 25 to 34, with nearly two-thirds (62%) expressing anxiety over AI’s impact on their careers.
In response to these widespread concerns, the TUC has unveiled a new “worker first” AI strategy. This initiative urges the UK government to implement a significant shift in its approach to AI, ensuring that workers and trade unions are central to its development and deployment. The TUC believes that while AI technologies hold the potential to benefit all workers and enhance public services, an urgent and active policy response is crucial.
Key proposals within the TUC’s strategy include attaching conditions to the billions of pounds of public money allocated for AI research and development. These conditions would aim to safeguard against job displacement by new technologies. Furthermore, the TUC is calling for assurances that workers will receive a “digital dividend” from the productivity gains generated by AI. This would involve mandating companies to invest in workforce skills and training, improve employee pay and conditions, and empower workers to influence corporate decision-making, potentially through representation on company boards.
Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the TUC, emphasized the urgency of this approach, stating, “The alternative is bleak. Left unmanaged and in the wrong hands, the AI revolution could entrench rampant inequality as jobs are degraded or displaced, and shareholders get richer.”
The poll also indicated a strong public desire for involvement in how AI is utilized. Half of those surveyed (50%) expressed a wish for workers and unions to have an equal say with businesses in shaping the future of AI and technology across workplaces and the broader economy, with only 17% opposing this view. This sentiment is consistent across the political spectrum.
The release of the TUC poll coincides with recent announcements from major employers, including BT, Amazon, and Microsoft, suggesting that advancements in AI could lead to job reductions. While Britain’s job market is currently experiencing a slowdown, with the official jobless rate at a four-year high of 4.7%, most economists do not attribute this directly to an acceleration in AI investment.
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- New Study Reveals Pre-Generative AI Roots of Technology-Driven Job Displacement, Disproportionately Affecting Young Workers
Separate research from Fountech.ai, which surveyed over 2,000 people, found an even higher level of concern, with 67% of UK adults worried about AI replacing their jobs. This study also revealed that just over half (58%) find algorithms that make recommendations “creepy.” Despite these anxieties, a healthy majority (62%) believe AI will ultimately do more good than harm, and 74% advocate for increased government regulation of AI to mitigate potential negative societal impacts.
