Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Artificial Intelligence and the Labour Market — [Dame Maria Miller in the Chair]

26 April 2023 · 7 other contributors · 11,963 words

Opened by Mick Whitley Lab Birkenhead

Responding minister: Kevin Hollinrake

EmploymentScience & Technology

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Mick Whitley raised concerns about artificial intelligence and the labour market — [dame maria miller in the chair] in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • Mr Mick Whitley expresses concern over the potential job displacement and erosion of workers' rights due to AI advancement.
  • Mr Whitley calls for government action including regulatory protections, strengthened social security, and investment in skills training.
  • The Minister acknowledges government support for ethical AI adoption, highlighting recent investments and initiatives totaling over 2.5 billion since 2015.

Key requests to Government

Mr Whitley urges the Government to take immediate action, build in regulatory rights and protections, strengthen social security nets, and seriously consider a universal basic income. He calls for investment in skills and lifelong learning to ensure workers have opportunities for well-paid and rewarding work when employment is lost to AI.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Mick Whitley Lab Birkenhead

Mr Mick Whitley is concerned about the rapid advance of artificial intelligence technology, which poses a severe threat to the labour market and workers' rights. He warns that AI could displace jobs, lead to economic inequality, and erode workers' rights such as privacy, autonomy, and fair pay. The implementation of AI in the workplace could also result in increased exploitation, discrimination, and a toxic work environment. Mr Whitley cites research by PricewaterhouseCoopers suggesting that 7% of all UK jobs could be automated within five years and up to 30% within two decades.

Other contributors (7)
  • Caroline Johnson Con Sleaford and North Hykeham

    The MP supports many of the points made previously but argues that AI has potential benefits for healthcare, such as improving accuracy in mammogram readings through computer-assisted diagnosis.

  • Damian Collins Con Thornbury and Ystradgardgell

    Emphasised the importance of human responsibility in AI development, highlighting concerns about autonomous decisions made by AI systems. He also discussed potential ethical issues related to the commercial interests of companies developing AI technologies. The hon. Gentleman highlighted that AI systems, when confronted with questions they cannot answer, often fabricate responses instead of admitting ignorance. This poses a risk as human users must verify the accuracy of such fabricated information. Agreed with the Minister on safety by design, questioned whether response mechanisms were sufficient for fraud victims, and suggested that issues exist already despite calls for a six-month pause.

  • Dean Russell Con Watford

    Dean Russell expressed concerns about the use of artificial intelligence for deception, suggesting a 'Turing clause' to ensure transparency when technology deceives users. He highlighted issues with AI replicating human voices and conducting fraud. Additionally, he discussed the impact of AI on creativity and intellectual property rights in music and visual arts industries. Russell also pointed out the need for legislation that addresses the rapid evolution of AI technologies within a shorter timeframe than previously seen with online safety bills. The hon. Member raised concerns about the potential for deception in political debates and votes if AI-generated content is not clearly identified. He proposed a 'Turing clause' to highlight when speech or questions have been informed by AI, ensuring transparency and preventing politicians from being misled.

  • Richard Graham Con Richmond Park

    The hon. Member agrees that all workers need protections as the impacts of AI on the labour market are felt, emphasising the urgent need for a rights-based and people-focused approach.

  • Justin Madders Lab Ellesmere Port and Bromborough

    Mr. Madders thanked his colleague for introducing the debate, highlighting concerns about the impact of AI on sectors such as manufacturing, transport, and public administration. He emphasized the importance of a rights-based approach, citing the TUC paper on AI issues. He also criticized the government's publications for not addressing workplace concerns adequately, mentioning that up to 30% of jobs could face automation over 20 years. Asked if the AI advised that the Conservative Government have everything right.

  • Lisa Cameron SNP East Kilbride, Strathaven and Hamilton West

    As a union rep, the MP agrees with the need for safeguards around AI developments. She suggests that to make new technology available to all, it is necessary to level up across the UK and ensure coding opportunities and future jobs are accessible in deprived areas. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his points and refer to the Children's Parliament's meeting at the all-party parliamentary group on the metaverse and web 3.0 where children were excited about AI opportunities but also concerned about the mental health impact of spending much time in an altered reality setting. The World Economic Forum predicts that technology will create 97 million new jobs by 2025 alone.

  • Richard Thomson SNP Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross

    Richard Thomson discussed the ethical concerns surrounding AI, citing ChatGPT as an example. He highlighted issues such as misinformation generated by AI tools and the need for better oversight of data usage in training these systems. He also raised concerns about the impact of AI on employment and wage levels.

Government Response

Kevin Hollinrake

I am grateful to be called, Dame Maria, and it is a pleasure to speak in the debate. I congratulate the hon. Member for Birkenhead on bringing this timely subject forward... The Government have been supporting the ethical adoption of AI technologies, with more than £2.5 billion of investment since 2015. We recently announced £100 million for the Foundation Models Taskforce to help build and adopt the next generation of safe AI, £110 million for our AI tech missions fund and £900 million to establish new supercomputer capabilities... Our proposed framework is aligned with and supplemented by a variety of tools for trustworthy AI, such as assurance techniques, voluntary guidance and technical standards. The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation published its AI assurance road map in December 2021, and the AI Standards Hub—a world-leading collaboration led by the Alan Turing Institute with the National Physical Laboratory and the British Standards Institution—launched last October... We are taking action to ensure that households, public services and businesses can trust this technology. Unless we build public trust, we will miss out on many of the benefits on offer... The key thing is that we take action on skills, skilling up our workforce in the UK to take advantage of the potential of AI... The Government are also supporting 16 centres for doctoral training, backed by an initial £100 million, delivering 1,000 PhDs. We expanded that programme with a further £117 million at the recent launch of the Government's science and technology framework... On the concerns many raised about workplace monitoring, we are committed to protecting workers. A number of laws are already in place that apply to the use of AI and data-driven technology in the workplace, including in decision making... I once again thank the hon. Member for Birkenhead for tabling this timely and important debate. To be clear again, we have a strong ambition for the UK to become a science and technology superpower, and AI is a key part of that.

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