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Artificial Intelligence: Employment

Asked by Colum EastwoodSocial Democratic & Labour PartyDepartment for Business and TradeTabled Answered 7 January 2025UIN 21537

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, whether he has held discussions with trade unions on the potential impact of (a) artificial intelligence and (b) automation on workers.

Answered by Justin Madders

New technologies such as artificial intelligence and automation have the potential to transform businesses of all sizes, supporting productivity and growth.

The government's approach is to protect good jobs, enable good future jobs, ensure rights and protections keep pace with technological change and to safeguard against discrimination.

As the Plan to Make Work Pay makes clear, workers' interests will need to inform the digital transformation that is taking place in the workplace.

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) ministers continue to engage positively with all relevant stakeholders in relation to the potential impacts of new technologies on the workplace, including trade unions and business.

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