In a column for Times UK, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has urged Britain to embrace artificial intelligence as a force for job creation, rather than fearing it will make humans redundant. Sunak warned that paralysis over AI could leave the country trailing in global competitiveness, stressing that urgent action is needed to equip both children and adults with the skills required for the future.
Sunak noted that students entering the job market face uncertainty, with the twin impacts of Covid and rapid AI adoption. While media reports often predict a graduate jobs apocalypse, current data shows that declines in job openings reflect broader recruitment trends rather than a direct effect of AI. Nevertheless, the nature of work is changing, and new generations must adapt. Drawing on research from Stanford economists, Sunak highlighted that young adults in AI-exposed sectors such as software development and customer service are already seeing declining employment, while interest in coding degrees at universities is falling. Ironically, AI is affecting coders most because they have pioneered the technology itself, enabling non-coders to perform tasks that once required programming skills.
Sunak emphasised that AI is not limited to coding. He cited examples from finance, healthcare, and marketing, where employers are using AI to maintain productivity without expanding headcount. Yet, he argued, humans remain indispensable for interpersonal skills, relationship building, and cultivating workplace culture—qualities AI cannot replicate. History, he added, shows that general-purpose technologies often destroy some jobs while creating new ones. Roles such as AI engineers, electricians, and welders are already in high demand, and future professions will likely emerge that do not even exist today.
For Britain to seize the economic opportunities of AI, Sunak stressed that workforce preparation cannot wait. With projections suggesting that 70 percent of jobs will require different skills by 2030, he called for immediate action to teach AI literacy and ensure workers can harness the technology effectively. Failure to act, he warned, risks lower living standards and falling behind other nations. “You are not going to lose your job to artificial intelligence, but to someone using it,” he wrote, emphasising the need for a mindset shift and broad AI competence across all levels of employment.
Sunak concluded by highlighting the transformative potential of AI for entrepreneurship, making it easier than ever to turn ideas into marketable products. He argued that the choice for Britain is clear: either adjust to this new era of work and thrive, or ignore the change and be left behind. The column is a call to action, urging policymakers, educators, and workers alike to prepare for a world in which AI is not a threat, but a tool for growth, innovation, and opportunity.
