Press Story

Workers report AI is already actively making their jobs worse as well as outright taking their jobs
Paul Nowak says: “AI must be designed, governed and negotiated by and for workers”
IPPR calls for new generation of workers’ rights to prevent workers being left powerless in the age of AI

A new report from IPPR warns that AI could deepen insecurity and inequality unless workers are given power over how technology is deployed.

The authors spoke to workers who said worsening surveillance, intensified workloads, and job losses were already commonplace thanks to AI advancements.

A survey of workers found that one in five say “AI is making my job worse” while one in 25 say they have already lost their job because of AI. Half say they have no say in decisions about AI at work.

IPPR warns that without stronger worker protections and influence, the benefits of AI are likely to flow overwhelmingly to employers rather than employees.

The report argues that AI’s impact on workers is not inevitable, but depends on who holds power over how the technology is introduced and used in workplaces.

Without pro-worker guardrails, AI is likely to degrade or displace work. Workers described AI systems dictating schedules, monitoring productivity and replacing junior and freelance roles, while IPPR estimates that up to eight million UK jobs could eventually be displaced by AI technologies.

However, if workers are consulted and involved in the process, AI could augment work and compliment human labour, increasing productivity and improving the experience of work.

The report calls on ministers to introduce new policies to support workers through rapid labour market disruption, including:

A legal duty requiring employers to disclose and 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
A new “portable benefits” system, giving each worker tailored options on how to spend their funds on things like training and legal support

Joseph Evans, research fellow at IPPR and author of the report, said:

“AI has the potential to transform working life for better or worse. The crucial question is who gets to shape that transition. If workers are shut out of decisions about how AI is used, the gains risk being captured by a small number of firms and shareholders while insecurity spreads across the labour market.

“Workers want a meaningful say over how AI affects their jobs, protections against unfair uses of technology, and support to adapt as work changes. Rebuilding worker power is essential if the benefits of AI are to be shared fairly.”

Paul Nowak, general secretary of the TUC, said:

“Great technological transitions only result in meaningful social progress when they are shaped actively and decisively. The Industrial Revolution – often casually invoked to describe the possibilities of AI – saw fifty years of wage stagnation while profits soared. It took the difficult birth of the labour movement to tip technological gains towards workers’ interests and broader social wellbeing.

“To deliver on the promise of technology to enhance lives, inside and out of the workplace, AI must be designed, governed and negotiated by and for workers. Our guiding principle is simple: change must be done with working people, not to them.”

ENDS

Joseph Evans is available for interview

CONTACT

Liam Evans, head of news and media: 07419 365 334 l.evans@ippr.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

Advance copies of the report are available under embargo on request
IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the practical ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. As an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society, we have spent almost 40 years creating tangible progressive change - turning bold ideas into common sense realities. www.ippr.org