This IPPR report explores how AI could be deployed to augment, degrade or displace human labour and argues that the impact on workers is not inevitable but will depend on who holds power over how the technology is introduced and used in workplaces.
It advocates for new policies to support workers through rapid labour market disruption, including a new legal duty requiring employers to consult workers and trade unions on the use of AI technologies in the workplace, a worker support levy to fund retraining, worker representation and support during AI-driven disruption and a new “portable benefits” system, giving each worker tailored options on how to spend their funds on things like training and legal support. By rebuilding worker power now, the report emphasises we can ensure that the gains of AI are broadly shared, its risks collectively managed, and the dignity of work preserved.
