London Mayor Sadiq Khan has delivered a stark caution that artificial intelligence, if left unregulated, could transform into a "weapon of mass destruction of jobs." The Labour politician issued this grave warning during a speech at Mansion House on Thursday evening, highlighting the profound risk the fast-evolving technology poses to the capital's employees.
A Capital at the Cutting Edge of Change
Sir Sadiq stressed that London is positioned at "the sharpest edge of change" because of the colossal disruption AI is predicted to bring to its cornerstone industries. He specifically named finance, professional services, and the creative sectors as being in the frontline. This alert coincides with mounting public anxiety over technology misuse, following reports that users of Elon Musk's Grok AI chatbot created sexualised deepfake images of women and children.
"We can hear the low rumbling of a new technological revolution but we don’t yet know what course it will take," the Mayor stated. He painted two contrasting futures: one where AI responsibly transforms public services, boosts productivity, and tackles crises from cancer to climate change, and another where reckless deployment sparks mass unemployment, deeper inequality, and unprecedented wealth concentration.
Polling Reveals Widespread Worker Anxiety
Concern among London's workforce is already high. A City Hall survey conducted in November revealed that 56 per cent of London workers believe AI will impact their job within the next year. In response to this looming shift, Mayor Khan announced the formation of a dedicated taskforce. This group, comprising experts from government, business, the skills sector, and the AI industry, will review the technology's impact on employment and guide skills development to keep Londoners competitive globally. Its findings are anticipated in the summer.
Furthermore, free AI training will be commissioned for all Londoners. Sir Sadiq argued there is a "moral, social and economic duty to act" with speed, citing research indicating that 70 per cent of the skills in an average job will have changed by 2030.
Learning from Past Mistakes with Technology
The Mayor also called on political leaders to proactively shield the public from new technology's dangers and avoid repeating the errors made with social media. He noted that platforms, "without sufficient guardrails," had contributed to a youth mental health crisis and a surge in online abuse.
He referenced the Grok AI controversy, which led the platform X to announce new restrictions on Wednesday, blocking the generation of sexualised images of real people where illegal. Ofcom, which launched an investigation into the matter on Monday, welcomed the restrictions but stated its probe would continue.
When questioned about the warning, Downing Street pointed to the Government's existing AI skills initiatives. A spokesperson highlighted plans to train 7.5 million workers in essential AI skills and launch new short courses for businesses in April, aiming to build a workforce that "can help shape the curve of progress."
