Comment by Kanishka Narayan

AI is going to reshape the world of work, with some jobs more impacted than others, but AI will also create new roles and opportunities. Our recent assessment of AI capabilities and its impact on the labour market highlighted IMF estimates that around 70% of UK workers are in exposed occupations. Half of these exposed workers are in ‘high complementarity’ roles with the other half in roles where AI may be more likely to perform tasks currently delivered by human labour. To date however, there is little conclusive evidence demonstrating a causal link between AI impacts and a reduction in employment levels. The Government’s new AI Economics Institute will assess both opportunities and risks under a range of scenarios. A key consideration will be whether AI gains are broadly shared across regions, income groups, sectors and generations and that the opportunities are accessible, regardless of background, gender or geography.