This week, prime minister Keir Starmer announced ambitious plans to roll out artificial intelligence across public services, in a move that could create more than 13,000 jobs.
The AI Opportunities Action Plan is backed by a number of tech businesses and will commit £14bn towards the UK becoming an AI “superpower”.
More than 11,500 jobs will be created at a huge data centre campus in Wales, which will become one of the largest such centres in Europe. A further 1,000 jobs will open up in Liverpool over the next three years in a new tech hub.
Artificial intelligence
Altogether there are 50 measures in the AI Opportunities Action Plan that will make the UK “irresistible” to AI firms looking to start or scale up their business, the government claims.
Starmer said: “Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people.
“But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race.”
He added that the AI plan would “turbocharge” growth. “That means more jobs and investment in the UK, more money in people’s pockets, and transformed public services,” he said.
Human oversight
HR body the CIPD welcomed the government’s plans, but offered some words of caution. Hayfa Mohdzaini, senior policy and practice adviser for technology, said: “Letting AI handle repetitive and administrative tasks can help workers deliver more human public services. Used well, AI can enhance jobs to make them more fulfilling for people.
“However, it will be important for employers to monitor how the technology is used and manage risk. A CIPD poll of over 1,500 people in January 2025 found that six in 10 respondents would trust AI to inform, but not make, important decisions at work. This highlights the importance of human oversight when introducing this technology.”
Mohdzaini urged the HR profession to be at the forefront of discussions about AI implementation, introducing clear guidance covering the ethical and responsible use of AI at work.
“Organisations should foster a culture of cross-team collaboration, helping employees develop their skills or reskill as necessary to ensure no one gets left behind as AI transforms workplaces and careers,” he added.
Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said “proper protections” needed to be in place to protect workers from any pitfalls.
“Our members are already reporting major changes to working conditions due to the introduction of AI, which creates new risks and all too often results in workers feeling alienated and demotivated,” she said.
“We also have serious concerns about matters such as AI-powered surveillance and discrimination by algorithm, particularly with ‘high-risk’ decisions like recruitment, performance assessments and discipline.”
Built-in bias
The union aired concerns about the threat of discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, disabled and LGBTQ+ workers due to potential bias embedded into AI systems.
Graham added that AI systems often follow a “one-size-fits-all” view of workers, so they may fail to fully understand whether employees are fulfilling their responsibilities or not.
“The introduction of AI in the workplace must be something that happens with workers and not to workers. Government, employers and unions all need to be working together to avoid the potential dangers of workplace AI,” she said.
Bringing workforces up to speed with AI will be crucial if Starmer’s plan is to succeed, according to Nikolaz Foucaud, managing director EMEA at learning platform Coursera.
“The announcement of Starmer’s AI action plan to ‘mainline AI into the veins’ of the UK has put serious weight behind Britain’s AI ambitions.
“But turning this vision into reality hinges on a fundamental reimagining of our educational landscape and how we prepare our workforce for an AI-driven future,” he said.
Coursera’s research recently revealed that while enrolments for courses in generative AI have surged on its platform, only 28% of those enrolments are from women, indicating a potential gender disparity in the AI workforce.
The introduction of AI in the workplace must be something that happens with workers and not to workers.” – Sharon Graham, Unite
It also uncovered “systemic issues” coming from a lack of consistent policy in higher education, with less than half (48%) of educators saying their university has an AI policy in place.
“With the government’s plans to supercharge the economy through AI, it’s clear that proper skilling and strategy needs to be tackled first,” Foucaud added.
“If there isn’t a level playing field in terms of access to learning and development across men and women, and also obstacles for students in higher education to develop job-ready skills for AI, then the UK will be on the back foot when it comes to capitalising on emerging technologies.”
Critical gaps
Ash Gawthorp, chief academy officer at engineering consultancy Ten10, said the plan had some “critical gaps” when it came to upskilling and reskilling existing workforces.
“Focusing on AI education at the university level is commendable, but this approach alone is not enough to address the skills gap holistically,” he said.
“What about those who are already in the workforce and lack access to reskilling programmes tailored for emerging technologies? How do we ensure people from economically inactive, or disadvantaged groups can meaningfully participate in this AI-driven future?
“The commitment to increasing diversity in the talent pool is a great start, but it must translate into actions that support systemic changes to make AI education and careers accessible to people from all backgrounds, regions, and educational paths. Without this, we risk leaving too many behind in the race for innovation.”
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