AI could replace or significantly transform up to 70 per cent of tasks commonly performed by workers according to a new report by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).

The think tank analysed 22,000 tasks and found the technology has the greatest impact on organisational and strategic tasks as well as repetitive and non-repetitive cognitive and analytical tasks.

Away from the workplace, the report also highlighted the use of AI digital companions which allow users to have romantic relationships with chatbots.

The report said that while these companions can provide emotional support, they also carry risks of addiction. The potential long-term psychological impacts, especially for young people, are yet unknown.

The IPPR said that the report highlights the need for government intervention to set a clear direction for AI’s role in daily life as adoption could end up failing citizens and have unintended consequences.

The report adds that the upcoming Paris AI Action Summit could provide an opportunity for policymakers to shift the focus toward mission-based AI policies that deliver public value.
It calls on AI innovation to address social challenges such as improving healthcare and reducing climate change.

“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” said Carsten Jung, head of AI at IPPR. “But given its immense potential for change, it is important to steer it towards helping us solve big societal problems.

“Beyond just ensuring AI models are safe, we need to determine what goals we want to achieve,” he added. This demands democratic debate and close scrutiny of how AI is deployed.”

Last month, Sir Keir Starmer unveiled the government's AI Opportunity action plan, with the aim of making the UK a world leader in AI.

The plan includes £14 billion of investment supported by leading tech companies that will help create 13,250 jobs across the UK.

Additionally, the prime minister also announced the development of AI growth zones, with the aim of accelerating the construction of AI infrastructure and providing it with the energy needed to power it, starting with Culham and Oxfordshire.

---