UP TO seven in 10 computer-based jobs will be replaced or significantly transformed by AI, says a new think tank report published today.  

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said its analysis of 22,000 computer-reliant tasks commonly performed by workers highlights an “urgent need for government intervention to set a clear direction for AI’s role in daily life.”

It released its report ahead ahead of the Paris AI Action Summit next week.

IPPR’s head of AI Carsten Jung said: “Politics needs to catch up with the implications of powerful AI.

“Beyond just ensuring AI models are safe, we need to determine what goals we want to achieve.

“This demands democratic debate and close scrutiny of how AI is deployed.

“The public will want to be involved in setting clear missions and boundaries.

“The promise of AI to tackle some of humanity’s biggest problems is tantalising — we all have a stake in directing and achieving it.” 

IPPR has called for governments to set clear policies, including tax policy and regulatory frameworks for AI.

They should also establish measurable targets and funding mechanisms alongside timelines and ensure robust oversight to keep AI advancements aligned with public interest.

IPPR also warned of the risks of addiction and potential long-term psychological harm to young people from the growing use of AI digital companions.

It found that some 930,000 people in Britain now have one such app, Character.AI, with many users having romantic relationships with these chatbots. 

Dr Jung said: “The launch of ‘AI agents’ shows AI is different from past technologies. It is not merely a tool — it is an actor.”

Last month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled the government’s AI Action Plan, claiming that it will help make Britain a global leader in AI while also boosting the economy.

Its measures included boosting AI infrastructure in Britain, creating growth zones, advancing AI safety regulation with increased adoption of the tech in the Civil Service.

The Institute for the Future of Work (IFOW) think tank however criticised the plan for not considering the “potential of technological transformation to exacerbate national and regional inequalities” across Britain.

Calling for unions to be given new Treasury-backed powers to prevent AI-based automation of jobs increasing regional inequality, it urged ministers to prioritise “integrated, place-based growth and capabilities strategies in a more systematic way.”

Institute for Employment Rights director James Harrison said: “Although AI may be affecting some sectors more than others at present, all workers and their trade unions should be concerned.

"Rapid advances in ‘artificial intelligence’ have given rise to complex and powerful algorithmic management tools that pose an increasing threat to the right of workers to enjoy decent working conditions and exercise agency over their working lives.

"Existing worker protections, already hugely undermined by decades of anti-union legislation, are woefully inadequate to meet the challenges posed by these developments.

"A new regulatory framework is urgently needed, giving workers and their unions a genuine voice in the use of algorithmic management tools, alongside recognition and protection of their rights and access to justice that ensures their employers can be held to account.

"We also need to consider whether these systems should be properly licensed to ensure they are not acting in legally erroneous ways, and if they are, to prohibit those systems until they are compliant with our laws, as they are sometimes prohibited in Europe. These would all be welcome first steps towards securing the rights of all workers for to future.”

TUC employment rights officer Mary Towers said: “This report shows how, in the age of AI, strong trade unions are in everyone's best interests. Union representation and collective bargaining gives workers a say on how technology is used and developed in workplaces.

“Workers understand their roles — that’s why their insights are so valuable. With worker-led approaches, active consultation with unions, and multi-disciplinary collaboration, technological innovation is fairer and more useful for all of us.

“It is not too late for us to determine collectively how AI is used, but time is short. Workers must be empowered with skills and training, and provisions for a just transition.

“AI automation is not only about automating tasks like coding, accountancy or writing reports. It is already being used by employers to make life-changing calls on things like how people are hired, performance managed and fired. But UK employment law is behind the pace of change. We urgently need to put new guardrails to protect workers from exploitation and discrimination.

“Last year, the TUC published a blueprint for new legislation to regulate AI decision-making in the workplace. It would give employers a duty to consult trade unions on the use of risky and intrusive forms of AI in the workplace. And we all deserve the human touch in decisions with big impacts on our lives, so there should be a legal right to a human review of AI decisions that could lead to unfairness. We are calling on all the political parties to back this bill.”