UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Embraces AI's Potential Amid Job Concerns

Starmer tells UK to 'push past' AI job fears as tech leaders raise alarm

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said it is time to "push past" concerns that AI poses a threat to human jobs -- contradicting the concerns of some of tech's biggest players. Speaking at London Tech Week today, Starmer called for industry to embed AI throughout the UK economy, from healthcare to education. By taking on administrative tasks, Starmer argues that artificial intelligence tools can free up people to focus on the "human work." For this reason, he said, "AI will make us more human." Starmer's assertion that AI is not here to replace humans, but to relieve them, is a popular sentiment among AI evangelists, including Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia. By taking over the grunt work -- such as filling out forms, summarising emails, or analysing spreadsheets -- they argue that AI will enable people to do more meaningful work. However, not all tech leaders are so optimistic. Sebastian  Siemiatkowski, CEO of Swedish fintech unicorn Klarna, recently cautioned that rapid AI deployment may trigger a recession by decimating white‑collar jobs. Speaking on The Times Tech Podcast, Siemiatkowski claimed AI bots had already enabled the buy now, pay later firm to slash its workforce from 5,500 to 3,000 and replace 700 customer service roles. "There will be an implication for white‑collar jobs and when that happens that usually leads to at least a recession in the short term," he said. He also criticised tech leaders for "downplaying the consequences of AI on jobs," urging urgent societal preparation. Dario  Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, painted an even starker picture in an interview with CNN last month. He warned that AI could wipe out "half of all entry‑level white‑collar jobs" within five years, potentially pushing unemployment in the US to 20%. AI has already been linked to job losses in many professions, including translation, customer service, copywriting, paralegal work, data entry, graphic design, and journalism. In an ironic twist of fate, the tech is also threatening the jobs of the developers who helped create it. Entry-level jobs that graduates rely on to kickstart their careers look to be the most at risk. While Starmer's vision that AI will make us more human by shouldering mundane tasks paints a hopeful future, current trends paint a more complex picture. The warnings from Siemiatkowski, Amodei, and many others suggest that, without urgent preparation and governance, we're sleepwalking into economic uncertainty.

Keir Starmer says technology can create a 'better future' as he addresses AI fears

Prime minister announces changes to boost UK's artificial intelligence infrastructure in speech at London Tech Week Keir Starmer has said ministers should be able to "look every parent in the eye" and pledge that tech can create a "better future" for their children. The UK prime minister opened London Tech Week with a series of policy announcements on artificial intelligence, including a boost to AI infrastructure and a new AI tool to transform the planning system. Acknowledging a "social fear" around the impact of AI, Starmer said technology would benefit all of society. "By the end of this parliament we should be able to look every parent in the eye in every region in Britain and say 'look what technology can deliver for you'," said Starmer. He added: "We can put money in your pocket, we can create wealth in your community, we can create good jobs, vastly improve our public services, and build a better future for your children. "That, to me, is the opportunity we must seize. That's what my plan for change will deliver and, today, I think we're taking another big step towards it." Addressing fears about the impact of AI on jobs and society, Starmer said: "AI and tech makes us more human." "We need to say it because, look, some people out there are sceptical. They do worry about AI taking their job." He added that people worry about whether AI will make their lives "more complicated" while businesses have warmed the pace of change can "feel relentless". Starmer also announced £1bn of extra funding for AI compute - the microchips, processing units and cabling that make AI systems function - as well as a new government AI assistant called "Extract" to help process planning applications. The planning tool is powered by Google's Gemini AI model. Starmer said he hoped Extract would speed up an "outdated" planning system and help planning officers "cut red tape, speed up decisions, and unlock the new homes for hard-working people". Speaking before Wednesday's government spending review, Starmer also announced a £187m initiative called "TechFirst", which includes teaching school pupils AI skills. The prime minister also announced a partnership with the tech industry to train 7.5 million UK workers how to use AI by the end of the decade. He said the funding would help British citizens get "ready for jobs of the future". Starmer was joined on stage by Jensen Huang, chief executive of $3.5tn (£2.55tn) chipmaker Nvidia, who described the UK as "the envy world" due to its "abundance" of AI researchers and entrepreneurs.