Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To as the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether his Department provides guidance to businesses on the potential impact of AI systems on employment.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We want to ensure that people have access to good, meaningful work. AI is already transforming workplaces, demanding new skills, and augmenting existing ones. Government is working to harness its benefits to boost growth, productivity, living standards, and worker wellbeing, while mitigating the risks.
The Department for Education published an analysis in 2023 outlining The impact of AI on UK jobs and training. We are currently considering our approach to updating this analysis.
Further to this, the Get Britain Working White Paper outlines how government will address labour market challenges and spread opportunity and economic prosperity that AI presents to the British public. This includes launching Skills England to create a shared national plan to boost the nation’s skills, creating more good jobs through our modern Industrial Strategy, and strengthening employment rights through DBT’s Plan to Make Work Pay.
DSIT has also published guidance for businesses adopting AI, focusing on good practice AI assurance when procuring and deploying AI systems. AI assurance could significantly manage risks and build trust, supporting business to assess and mitigate the potential impacts of AI adoption.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps her Department is taking to introduce skills retraining and workforce support measures, in the context of the deployment of AI technologies in workplaces.
Answered by Kanishka Narayan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
We want to ensure that people have access to good, meaningful work. AI will impact the labour market and Government is working to harness its benefits in terms of boosting growth, productivity, living standards, and worker wellbeing, while mitigating the risks. We’re planning for varied outcomes and monitoring data to track and prepare for these. The Get Britain Working White Paper sets out how we will address key challenges and that includes giving people the skills to get those jobs and spread opportunity to fix the foundations of our economy to seize AI’s potential.
The Government is supporting workforce readiness for AI through a range of initiatives. The new AI Skills Hub, developed by Innovate UK and PwC, provides streamlined access to digital training. This will support government priorities through tackling critical skills gaps and improving workforce readiness. We are also partnering with 11 major companies to train 7.5 million UK workers in essential AI skills by 2030.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether the AI Security Institute will be given statutory powers to (a) carry out audits, (b) approve the training of powerful AI models and (c) shut down unsafe systems.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Artificial intelligence is the defining opportunity of our generation, and the Government is taking action to harness its economic benefits for UK citizens. As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we believe most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use, with our expert regulators best placed to do so. Departments are working proactively with regulators to provide clear strategic direction and support them on their AI capability needs. Through well-designed and implemented regulation, we can fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI.
Asked by: Iqbal Mohamed (Independent - Dewsbury and Batley)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether he plans to give statutory powers to the AI Security Institute.
Answered by Feryal Clark
Artificial intelligence is the defining opportunity of our generation, and the Government is taking action to harness its economic benefits for UK citizens. As set out in the AI Opportunities Action Plan, we believe most AI systems should be regulated at the point of use, with our expert regulators best placed to do so. Departments are working proactively with regulators to provide clear strategic direction and support them on their AI capability needs. Through well-designed and implemented regulation, we can fuel fast, wide and safe development and adoption of AI.