AI, employment, and the UK’s industrial strategy

PwC ’s latest Global AI Jobs Barometer found demand for roles with high AI exposure expanded at a slower pace than those less affected by AI .

In towns with industrial legacies or fragile labour markets, AI is more likely to displace than create jobs unless there is targeted, place-based intervention.

At present, many treat upskilling as an externality a public good best delivered by someone else.

The overarching challenge is neither technological nor economic it is political.

AI , like past waves of automation, will not distribute its rewards evenly or inevitably.

The outcome will depend on the state's ability to shape markets and institutions in the public interest.