London Mayor Sadiq Khan is set to deliver a stark warning to the government, cautioning that artificial intelligence (AI) threatens to trigger a new wave of mass unemployment in the capital unless urgent action is taken.
A 'Colossal' Impact on London's Workforce
In his annual Mansion House speech to business leaders and bankers on Thursday evening, Khan will argue that London is uniquely vulnerable due to its high concentration of white-collar professions. The finance, creative, legal, accounting, consulting, and marketing sectors are all at the sharpest edge of this technological change.
The Mayor will cite research indicating that 70% of the skills required in an average job will have changed by the end of the decade. He will warn that the labour market impact could be "nothing short of colossal," with entry-level and junior positions likely to be the first to disappear.
Seizing AI's Potential or Facing Destruction
While highlighting the risks, Khan will also acknowledge the transformative potential of AI for public services and national productivity. "AI could enable us to transform our public services, turbocharge productivity and tackle some of our most complex challenges," he will state.
However, he will frame the situation as a critical 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." He will argue that the UK has a moral and economic duty to ensure new jobs replace those lost.
London's Response: A New Taskforce and Training
In response to the looming challenge, City Hall is launching a dedicated London taskforce on AI and the future of work. This body will bring together expertise from government, business, and the AI sector to assess the specific impact on London's job market.
A key part of the initiative will be offering free AI training for Londoners. This move comes as City Hall polling reveals that more than half of workers in London expect AI to affect their roles within the next year.
Khan will point to past failures to manage technological change, noting that the unchecked growth of social media contributed to a youth mental health crisis and a surge in online harms. He aims to avoid a repeat with AI, stating: "We can shape this next technological revolution... ensure AI makes us richer, not poorer, stronger, not weaker."
The concerns extend beyond AI. Separately, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Susan Langley, addressed perceptions of safety, insisting the Square Mile is "one of the safest cities in the world" and warning that unfounded negative sentiment risks undermining the UK's global competitiveness.
