A new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) reveals the significant impact generative AI is having on UK society, both professionally and personally. The findings highlight an urgent need for government intervention to set a clear direction for AI’s role in daily life.
The report notes that:
- Generative AI is reshaping the workplace, particularly within the knowledge economy. This includes jobs reliant on computer-based tasks like project management, marketing, and administrative support.
- IPPR’s analysis of 22,000 tasks commonly performed by workers found that up to 70% of tasks in these types of roles could be significantly transformed or replaced by AI.
- AI has the greatest impact on “organisational and strategic tasks” as well as “repetitive and non-repetitive cognitive and analytical tasks.” This raises questions about the future of work and how businesses adapt to this rapid transformation.
- Beyond the economy, society is already being changed by AI. Approximately 930,000 people in the UK have AI digital companions on the app ‘Character.AI’. A similar number may also have companions on ‘Replika’. Many users have had romantic relationships with these chatbots.
- While these companions provide emotional support, they carry risks of addiction and potential long-term psychological impacts, especially for young people.
IPPR argues that current AI policy is too narrowly focused on either accelerating AI adoption or ensuring its safety. While neglects the critical need for setting a clear and purposeful direction for AI adoption. The report advocates for a “new politics of AI”, where politicians, citizens, and businesses collaborate to define specific missions and targets for AI deployment to achieve.
Key report highlights
- Up to 70% of ‘knowledge economy’ tasks at risk of being transformed by generative AI.
- However, AI’s influence extends beyond work, with one million people in the UK now using digital AI companions.
- ‘Seismic’ changes in artificial intelligence require more democratic direction, urges think tank.
The upcoming Paris AI Action Summit presents an opportunity for policymakers to shift the focus toward mission-based AI policies that deliver public value. This means leveraging AI innovation to address pressing societal challenges, such as improving healthcare, combating climate change, and enhancing education.
A mission-based approach to AI
IPPR advocates for a mission-based approach where governments:
- Set clear policies, including tax policy and regulatory frameworks.
- Establish measurable targets and funding mechanisms alongside timelines
- Partner with the private sector and civil society to guide AI development
- Ensure robust oversight to keep AI advancements aligned with the public interest
Carsten Jung, head of AI at IPPR said, “AI capabilities are advancing at breath-taking speed. The launch of ‘AI agents’ shows AI is different from past technologies. It is not merely a tool – it is an actor. AI technology could have a seismic impact on economy and society. It will transform jobs, destroy old ones, create new ones, trigger the development of new products and services and allow us to do things we could not do before. But given its immense potential for change, it is important to steer it towards helping us solve big societal problems.
“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.”
Enterprise Times: What this means for businesses
On the eve of the international AI summit in Paris, attended by world leaders and CEOs of technology companies. AI progress continues to accelerate at a breakneck speed and is poised to have a seismic impact on society. This transformation, including the development of sophisticated AI agents, calls for greater democratic oversight and direction. The IPPR sees the Paris summit as an opportunity to show how organisations can harness AI as a force for societal, economic, and environmental good.
AI is about giving machines the ability to learn, think, and perform tasks that usually require human intelligence. This is achieved by the automation of data processing, management and creation of content faster and faster. However, to date, the response of the technology companies has been lacking. They go quiet when asked about the use of AI by bad actors for malicious reasons.
Occasionally, they will stress the guardrails placed to stop AI from being used by such actors. However, there appears to be little industry-wide coordination or cooperation on AI. With more technological waves driven by generative AI on the horizon, past experiences show that businesses need to fundamentally explore risks and benefits before deployment becomes widespread.
