Commission set up to spur more government action on the impact of AI on work

Its proposed solutions, while excellent, are partial and create the impression that the underlying purpose of this report was to make academia's voice heard in Whitehall and secure new long-term funding. No one doubts the stature of the UK's universities and research institutes, or the world-leading AI and robotics expertise within them, but by appearing to regard AI solely as an academic discipline, the report misses nearly all of the most important challenges facing the UK. As noted above, this report is interesting because it pushes the voices of workers to the front of the debate on the impact of AI. Too often we get drawn into the excitement around the potential of automation, the opportunities that could be gained, without thinking about the people that could be left behind as a result. Let's hope that this new commission can apply real pressure to the government to come up with an effective strategy and some new practical policies around addressing the forthcoming changes – working with citizens, employees and trade unions, rather than against them.