King's College London

Artificial intelligence is transforming the world of work and reshaping labour markets.

Warnings from London Mayor Sadiq Khan highlight the scale and urgency of this shift: AI could bring a “new era of mass unemployment” with entry‑jobs likely to be the first to be impacted. Around 70% of UK workers are in occupations containing tasks that AI could potentially perform and enhance, according to a UK Government analysis. This is a higher share than in other advanced economies and the comparatively high exposure means that both the potential economic risks and benefits are significant.

Research from King’s College London shows that we are already seeing the early impact of AI on the UK job market. A major new study by the King's Institute for Artificial Intelligence and The Policy Institute — surveying the general public, young people, university students and employers — reveals that public anxiety about what comes next runs deep: seven in ten UK adults are worried about the economic impact of AI on jobs, six in ten believe it will eliminate more jobs than it creates, and one in five think it will cause civil unrest. Yet readiness to respond remains far behind: only one in five believe the education system is currently preparing young people for a world shaped by AI. There is an urgent need for coordinated interventions across education, training and workforce development.

‘AI and Workforce Futures’ is King’s response to this challenge. This programme brings together the university’s world‑leading AI research, policy expertise, employer partnerships and interdisciplinary strengths to shape how the UK prepares for the future of work.

By uniting insights from technology, economics, policy, industry and education, the initiative aims to cut through a crowded field and define what truly matters in the national conversation on AI and the workforce.

Programme image: Yutong Liu & Digit / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/