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Is ChatGPT right about impact on employment?
The Guardian
|July 15, 2025
Ask ChatGPT whether artificial intelligence is contributing to Britain's cooling jobs market and the chatbot acknowledges its own role but adds a caveat: "Yes, AI is contributing to job losses in the UK, but its impact is nuanced and varies by industry, skill level, and job function."
There are concerns that AI could be one culprit behind the slowdown, as the ascendant technology destroys workers' jobs.
The telecoms company BT has said advances in AI could lead it to cut more jobs, having outlined plans to shed up to 55,000 workers two years ago for reasons including investment in digital automation. Amazon has warned white-collar staff their jobs could be replaced, Ocado has cut hundreds of roles to reduce costs while using AI instead, and Microsoft is shedding 9,000 jobs worldwide.
Despite mounting anecdotal evidence, most economists reckon that, so far, Britain's slowing labour market has little to do with accelerating investment in AI.
ChatGPT agrees. It spits out the top five reasons in bullet points:
This story is from the July 15, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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