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Societal Impact of AI: Government Policy
08 July 2026
Lead MP
Neil Duncan-Jordan
Responding Minister
James Frith
Tags
TaxationEmploymentScience & Technology
Word Count: 13258
Other Contributors: 16
At a Glance
Neil Duncan-Jordan raised concerns about societal impact of ai: government policy in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The Government should introduce measures such as an employment levy for firms replacing workers with AI, training subsidies, redeployment programs, a job subsidy scheme, and stronger social security support. It must also ensure fair tax treatment of income from work versus capital to prevent further shifts towards income inequality.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
I am concerned about the public's suspicion towards AI and its potential to exacerbate inequality, with only 7% expecting fair sharing of gains across society. Seven in ten workers are worried about job impacts. Additionally, the reliance on big tech companies like Google and Meta raises issues of privacy and power imbalance, as their digital services dominate our lives online.
AI is increasingly being used to make cutting-edge assistive technology for people with special educational needs and disabilities, but the industry is a bit of a wild west, and access for young people in areas such as Yeovil is uneven. Will the hon. Member join me in urging the Government to publish guidance for schools on best practices for AI assistive technology for SEND?
Anna Gelderd
Lab
South East Cornwall
AI's rapid advancement necessitates safeguards to protect public value and wealth generation. Anna Gelderd advocates for a national data wealth fund to ensure the benefits of AI from public data are shared across communities, emphasizing the importance of transparency, accountability, and regulation in the context of AI-generated content.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab
Oxford East
Ms Dodds emphasized the need for sovereignty in AI development, urging the Government to support UK niches like photonics and quantum technologies. She also called for greater cooperation with allies such as the EU and advocated for more robust public procurement policies that prioritize control and resilience over cost or short-term capability. Additionally, she highlighted concerns about unemployment due to AI and suggested launching a consultation on starting work in an AI-driven world.
Ben Spencer
Con
Penistone and Stocksbridge
Discussed the impact of protectionist policies on employment and called for a focus on resilience and leverage rather than tech sovereignty. He questioned the government's stance on EU AI Act regulations and requested a statement on social media and chatbot regulation.
Chris expresses public scepticism towards economic growth driven by digital technology due to concerns about environmental impacts and basic service delivery issues.
Clive Lewis
Lab
Norwich South
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his excellent speech. There are lots of things about AI and its impact that we do not know. But one of the things that history teaches us is that if vast amounts of power and wealth are handed to a handful of individuals, corporations or even the Chinese Communist party—the outcome is usually not good for the vast majority of people. We can see that when a small group of people are allowed to define what reality and knowledge are, that in itself—well, we have all read "1984".
Damian Hinds
Con
East Hampshire
Damian Hinds commended the debate on AI's societal impact and highlighted that no one truly knows the full implications of AI at this moment. He acknowledged the challenges in labour markets, information integrity, and the need for a robust regulatory framework to protect children using AI tools.
Emily Darlington
Lab
Milton Keynes South
She highlighted the historical significance of Bletchley Park and argued for Britain to be an AI maker rather than a taker, stressing the risks of depending on US tech firms. She mentioned Palantir's contract with the NHS and MoD as an example of dependency and cited social costs including public trust issues due to Palantir's controversial use in other countries.
Helen Maguire
Con
Epsom and Ewell
AI can fuel the threat of disinformation, which inflames tension and distorts debate in Epsom and Ewell. She calls for regulation of AI and the Government to bring forward the AI Bill.
The intervention questions whether the dependency on six foreign tech companies poses a national security threat. Asked whether the government could wait 25 years to regulate AI, emphasizing that it is a major potential cause of harm and needs immediate attention. The right hon. Gentleman says no one knows, but throughout history, when we have approached technologies or situations that we have never experienced before, we have done scenario planning and risk assessments, and we have prepared as best as possible for scenarios that may be plausible or possible. Does he agree that when it comes to AI, we have been absolutely asleep at the wheel and that planning has not happened? AI, if not regulated properly, could lead to significant societal harm. He called for GAIP regulation in healthcare, independent statutory testing before AI release, and a kill switch for AI systems. Additionally, he raised concerns about the economic impact on private-hire drivers displaced by autonomous vehicles. Asked Helen Maguire a question but no full statement was provided. Asked how the government will fund public services when AI agents do not contribute to national insurance, income tax or pension contributions.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim focuses on job prospects for young people, questioning whether education and training preparations fall under this Minister's purview or another Department.
Lee highlights that moving to a service economy left some areas behind and urges planning for AI impacts to ensure benefits are spread across the country.
Luke Myer
Lab
Teesside
The Teesside region has the potential to bring nationally significant investment in new AI data centre infrastructure. He welcomes this investment and is open for business, but asks the Minister to commit to meeting with colleagues at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to ensure governance arrangements around the Teesworks site attract business rather than deter it.
North Kerrier
Stressed the importance of proportionate regulation for AI in healthcare to balance innovation with public trust and safety, citing an example from his constituency where Brave AI is used to identify vulnerable patients early.
Susan Murray
SNP
Mid Dunbartonshire
Susan Murray addresses concerns over a proposed 300 MW AI data centre with battery storage near Bishopbriggs. She stresses the need for community benefits and local investment, highlighting the importance of building sovereign capacity in AI to avoid reliance on US policies that could limit UK access.
Victoria Collins
Lib Dem
Bristol East
Ms Collins expressed concerns about the lack of strategic oversight in AI policy and the absence of an AI Bill. She highlighted the potential for AI to exacerbate inequalities, compromise security, and displace jobs while also offering significant benefits if harnessed correctly. She called for proactive measures such as supporting start-ups with tax credits, enhancing university spin-outs through increased funding, ensuring digital sovereignty in procurement, improving cyber-security standards, tackling AI-enabled fraud, and establishing a national people strategy to address the rapid changes in employment and education.
Government Response
James Frith
Government Response
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms McVey. I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Poole on securing the debate, which speaks directly to the kind of country and society that we want to create for everyone we represent. The Government recognise that AI is changing our economy, delivery of public services, expectations of each other, and ways in which we interact and engage. They see the potential of AI in scientific discovery, better public services, stronger economic growth, and are working to ensure the UK has capability, access, and influence in technologies shaping the economy, public services, and national security. The Government established the sovereign AI unit with £500 million to back promising UK firms, already attracting third highest private investment in AI globally. They recognise the need for international competition but emphasise the importance of ensuring genuine strengths are translated into economic benefit. Significant private investment is flowing into areas like therapies slowing biological ageing and AI-accelerated drug discovery. The Government have committed to ambitious plans to transform services and digitise government, embedding frameworks, standards, and guidance for fair, transparent, and accountable deployment of AI in the public sector. They support UK firms providing third-party AI-assurance ecosystems, enhancing job roles while distinguishing jobs most at risk. For young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), around 12.8% aged 16 to 24 face challenges beyond data-entry and entry-level jobs, with little conclusive evidence of AI reducing employment but estimates suggest around 70% of UK workers are in exposed occupations. The Government established the AI and the future of work unit for real-time monitoring of AI's impact on jobs, wages, and opportunities, investing in people through the most ambitious skills programme worldwide to ensure the workforce is equipped to harness AI opportunities. They launched early careers funding and reforms such as an AI-inclusive GCSE in computing. The Government are not idle when it comes to tackling AI harms; they stand up to big tech firms facilitating harm to UK citizens, criminalise non-consensual sexual deepfakes, ban nudification apps, and legislate for their removal. They also intend to update the House before recess on a social media ban policy.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.