Sadiq Khan warns AI might turn out to be ‘weapon of mass destruction of jobs’ | EUROtoday

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has issued a stark warning that synthetic intelligence might turn out to be “a weapon of mass destruction of jobs” if its fast improvement stays unchecked.

Speaking at Mansion House on Thursday night, the Labour politician highlighted the numerous menace the burgeoning know-how poses to the capital’s workforce.

This comes amid widespread concern over the creation of sexualised deepfake pictures of girls and kids utilizing Elon Musk’s Grok AI chatbot.

Sir Sadiq emphasised the pressing want for motion to “seize the potential of AI and use it as a superpower for positive transformation and creation” whereas concurrently stopping “a new era of mass unemployment.”

He added that London finds itself at “the sharpest edge of change” because of the “colossal” affect AI is predicted to have on its key sectors, together with finance, skilled companies, and the inventive industries.

He stated: “We can hear the low rumbling of a new technological revolution but we don’t yet know what course it will take.

“Used responsibly, AI could enable us to transform our public services, turbocharge productivity and tackle some of our most complex challenges – from cancer care to the climate crisis.

“But used recklessly, it could usher in a new era of mass unemployment, accelerated inequality and an unprecedented concentration of wealth and power…

“We mustn’t drift, absentmindedly, into a future we didn’t ask for and don’t 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 it and sit back and watch as it becomes a weapon of mass destruction of jobs.”

Polling carried out by City Hall in November confirmed 56 per cent of London staff anticipated AI to have an effect on their job over the subsequent yr.

The mayor introduced a taskforce comprising specialists from authorities, enterprise, the abilities sector and the AI trade to conduct a assessment of the know-how’s affect on jobs to assist assess easy methods to develop Londoners’ abilities for the long run so they continue to be aggressive within the international jobs market.

Findings from the group, whose members are but to be introduced, are anticipated in the summertime.

He can even fee free AI coaching for all Londoners.

Sir Sadiq stated “we have a moral, social and economic duty to act” shortly, as analysis suggests 70 per cent of abilities within the common job can have modified by 2030.

He additionally urged political leaders to guard folks in opposition to the risks of recent know-how and “not make the same mistakes” as with social media, which, “without sufficient guardrails”, has “saddled us with a youth mental health crisis and a surge in online abuse”.

He pointed to reviews of Grok customers manipulating pictures of girls and kids in an effort to sexualise them.

X on Wednesday introduced it could forestall Grok “editing images of people in revealing clothes” and block customers from producing comparable pictures of actual folks in international locations the place it’s unlawful.

Ofcom has welcomed the brand new restrictions however stated its investigation – launched on Monday – will proceed because it seeks “answers into what went wrong and what’s being done to fix it”.

Downing Street pointed to the Government’s AI abilities coaching providing when requested whether or not Sir Keir Starmer agreed with Sir Sadiq’s evaluation.

A No 10 spokesman stated: “Like all technologies throughout history, AI is going to reshape the world of work.

“Some jobs will be impacted, more impacted than others, but the new roles and opportunities it will create is something we should all embrace. And that’s why we’re training 7.5 million workers, a fifth of the UK’s entire workforce, with the essential AI skills they need over the coming years.

“In April, we’ll be launching new short courses for businesses in areas like AI and digital skills to give people the tools they need for the jobs of the future.

“That is how we are building a workforce which can help shape the curve of progress rather than simply being passers by.”