Responding to the publication of the Mayor’s AI and Jobs Taskforce’s final report, Muniya Barua, Deputy Chief Executive of BusinessLDN and Chair of the BusinessLDN-Deloitte AI Steering Committee, said:
“The Mayor is right to recognise that London is at the sharp end of the AI revolution. Employers, educators and government will all need to work together to ensure the capital adapts quickly and seizes the opportunities presented by this transformative technology.
“The Taskforce’s focus on skills, better data and closer collaboration with employers reflects many of the recommendations put forward by our AI Steering Group of cross-sector firms. That includes the need to develop transferable skills in the workforce, such as teamwork and critical thinking — uniquely human skills that AI cannot easily replace.
“With six in ten firms in the capital reporting skills gaps in advanced digital skills, including AI, the new government must also play its part by creating the conditions for firms to hire and incentivising them to invest in workforce transition and reskilling staff, for example, via the new Growth & Skills Levy.”
The BusinessLDN-Deloitte AI Steering Committee 10-point plan for AI adoption in the capital can be accessed here.