Labour will make AI ‘work for the workers’, says Liz Kendall

2026-06-05 · Source: AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian · Field: Government & Public Sector — Public Policy & Governance, Social Services & Welfare · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, short

Summary

UK Technology Secretary Liz Kendall outlined Labour's strategy to ensure artificial intelligence benefits workers, addressing public concerns about job displacement. Ahead of London Tech Week starting 8 June, Kendall detailed plans to shape AI adoption, emphasizing support for job transitions. The government's £187m TechFirst AI training scheme, aiming to reach 1 million children, has been adjusted to allocate 40% of places to disadvantaged schools. Additionally, two new summer skills camps were launched in the north-east (20 places) and north-west (60 places) of England for young people not in education, employment, or training (Neets), with intentions for national expansion. Kendall also touched on broader tech issues, including the digitisation of the NHS and a consultation on online safety for under-16s, covering social media, AI chatbots, and age verification. She stressed the government's commitment to actively guide technological change rather than passively accept it.

Key takeaway

For policy makers developing national AI strategies, this report underscores the imperative to proactively design interventions that mitigate job displacement and foster inclusive growth. You should prioritize targeted skills training and youth employment programs, like the adjusted TechFirst scheme or summer camps, to ensure equitable access to AI opportunities. Your approach must actively shape technology's impact, rather than reacting to its consequences, focusing on tangible support for vulnerable populations.

Key insights

Governments can actively shape AI adoption to benefit workers and address societal impacts, rather than passively accepting technological change.

Principles

• Governments must actively shape AI adoption.
• Support workers through job transitions.
• Prioritize digital skills for disadvantaged youth.

In practice

• Adjust national training schemes for equity.
• Launch regional summer skills camps.
• Fund youth employment guarantee programs.

Topics

• AI Policy
• Workforce Development
• Youth Employment
• Digital Skills Training
• Social Media Regulation
• NHS Digitisation

Best for: Policy Maker, Executive, General Interest

Related on AIssential

• The Download: puncturing the AI jobs panic — AI's job impact is nuanced, showing no mass unemployment but significant entry-level disruption.
• Opinion | WPA Meets AI in My Work for America Proposal — AI-driven job displacement necessitates proactive workforce development and infrastructure investment.
• As entry-level jobs dry up in NZ, how can we help young people find their way into work? — AI and increased higher education are shrinking entry-level job opportunities, hindering young workers' career development.
• New Future of Work: AI is driving rapid change, uneven benefits — AI is transforming work by enabling human-AI collaboration, not just accelerating tasks, demanding new skills and thoughtful integration.
• The rise of AI is making the future of work look bleak – but it could be an opportunity — AI-driven anxieties are fostering cross-class solidarity, potentially revitalizing worker power and labor movements.
• Batter Up: AI, Labor, and the Policy Gap Nobody Is Closing — AI's impact on labor is bifurcated: a collaborative tool in some sectors, a driver of mass displacement in others.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by AI (artificial intelligence) | The Guardian.