But used recklessly, it could usher in a new era of mass unemployment, accelerated inequality, and an unprecedented concentration of wealth and power. <\/p>\n
This week, the shocking reports of X\u2019s AI tool, Grok, being used to undress women in photos and create sexualised images of children, have rightly provoked outrage.<\/p>\n
Following our experiences with the social media revolution, this latest appalling scandal once again illustrates the consequences of being too slow to respond to new technology.<\/p>\n
As we stand at the dawn of the AI revolution, we mustn\u2019t make the same mistakes with AI that were and are being made with social media. The harm that could be caused if we did are incalculable.<\/p>\n
Right now, it feels as though the ground beneath our feet is shifting. Artificial intelligence is beginning to cause tectonic movements \u2013 in our markets, industries and workplaces. Its early tremors are already beginning to reshape our lives and livelihoods.<\/p>\n
We can hear the low rumbling of this new, technological revolution, but we don\u2019t yet know what course it will take. But one thing\u2019s for sure: we mustn\u2019t drift, absentmindedly into a future we didn\u2019t ask for and don\u2019t want. We need to wake up and make a choice. Seize the potential of AI, and use it as a superpower for positive transformation and creation, or surrender to it and sit back and watch as it becomes a weapon of mass destruction of jobs.<\/p>\n
In London, the impact of AI on our labour market will be seismic. Some of our city\u2019s biggest sectors \u2013 such as finance, professional\u202fservices\u202fand the creative industries \u2013 rank among the most likely to be affected, and according to recent polling, more than half of London workers expect AI to impact their job in some way in the next twelve months.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a real danger that old roles may disappear faster than new ones are created. And entry-level jobs will\u202flikely be\u202fthe first to go – robbing our young people of that vital first step on the career ladder and robbing us, and our economy, of the future leaders they might have become.<\/p>\n
Work doesn’t just give us the means to look after ourselves and our families – it gives our lives structure and shape, identity and purpose. Work cuts to the heart of what I call the \u2018London promise\u2019 – that unspoken contract between Londoners and our great city: that if you\u2019re willing to work hard, this city will give you a helping hand, and there\u2019ll be no limits to what you can achieve.<\/p>\n
This promise is what attracts the world\u2019s best and brightest to come here. It\u2019s why London has generated ground-breaking inventions, game-changing ventures and legendary creatives. Our city shares in the success of all those who are proud to call it home.<\/p>\n
But if we\u2019re\u202fto keep the London promise alive in the age of AI, we need to\u202fact,\u202fand act fast. Research suggests that 70% of skills in the average job will have changed by 2030 \u2013 so if we want to future-proof our economy, and our workforce, we don\u2019t have a second to lose.<\/p>\n
Last year, I launched the London Growth Plan, which sets out our vision to accelerate growth and make London a leader in the industries of tomorrow.\u202f\u202fIt includes \u00a3147 million in new skills funding, to make sure Londoners are equipped with the skills they, and our economy, need.<\/p>\n
But with the rise of AI, we need to do more. That\u2019s why I\u2019ll be launching a new London Taskforce on AI and the Future of Work. The Taskforce will look at the impact AI will have on jobs here in London, and help us to identify what needs to be done to ensure Londoners have the skills they need to move into future roles and stay competitive in a global job market.<\/p>\n
In addition to this Taskforce,\u202fwe\u2019ll\u202fbe commissioning free AI skills training, available to all Londoners, so they can upskill and take advantage of this\u202fnew technology.<\/p>\n
Seventy-five years ago, London\u2019s own Alan Turing warned that his discoveries in computer science were \u201conly a foretaste of what is to come, and only the shadow of what is going to be.\u201d The technology he glimpsed is now in full view, for all to see. And it\u2019s up to us to make sure it delivers the safer, fairer and more prosperous London we all deserve.\u2019<\/p>\n
—<\/strong><\/p>\n Sadiq Khan is the Labour Mayor of London.<\/strong><\/p>\n LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.<\/strong><\/p>\n