AI: Labour Market Changes

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch Excerpts

Wednesday 25th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

My Lords, that is an excellent question. Let me set out the Government’s position here. Let me also say that technology has impacted us for the last 50 years and we have risen above it. We have embraced technology in the way that we work, do business, access financial information and so on. Technology will always be here and there will be challenges, but we have to rise above them. All of us know that we have this telephone in our pockets or our handbags, and the phone is more powerful than the computer that sent men to the moon. We have the power to reach the stars and we have to do it; we have to embrace AI in all our future considerations and ensure that it is safe for everybody.

[Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)]

My Lords, the launch of the AI and the Future of Work Unit is of course very welcome, but how will it account for the varied AI growth opportunities around the country, which might be very different from place to place? It is important that we ensure that everyone can be supported into better, tailored jobs, and they need to be relevant to their local economy. We do not want a plan that is one size fits all when it needs to be varied around the regions.