A Trades Union Congress (TUC) survey of 2,600 UK workers found that 51% fear job losses or worsened employment terms due to artificial intelligence (AI), with concerns highest among younger workers aged 25–34 (62%). The findings emerge as companies like BT, Amazon, and Microsoft warn that AI advancements could lead to workforce reductions, though current rising unemployment (4.7%) is not yet directly linked to AI.
The TUC emphasizes that AI can improve public services and working conditions if managed responsibly. It urges the government to involve workers and unions in AI deployment decisions, noting that 50% of surveyed workers want a say in how AI is integrated, compared to only 17% opposed. Unions advocate for conditions on public AI funding to prevent mass job displacement and demand a "digital dividend" to reinvest productivity gains into skills, wages, and better working conditions.
Without safeguards, unions warn AI could deepen inequality, degrade job quality, and spark social unrest. The TUC calls for stronger social security and reskilling systems to help workers adapt to technological shifts. It also pushes for worker representation at board levels to ensure fair decision-making in AI implementation.
TUC Assistant General Secretary Kate Bell stated that AI holds "transformative potential" but risks exacerbating inequality if left unregulated. The union’s demands highlight the need for a balanced approach that prioritizes worker protections while harnessing AI’s benefits for economic and social progress.
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