Future of Work Hub: In Conversation with… Nimmi Patel, Head of Skills, Talent and Diversity at techUK

“The impact of generative AI is expected to vary from industry to industry and people have said it can cause significant disruption. But, email caused significant disruption, the printing press caused significant disruption, and I think we can handle it as long as we focus on people first solutions.”

The launch of ChatGPT has reignited the debate about how advances in technology could reshape the world of work. In this podcast, Nimmi and Lucy explore the opportunities and challenges that automation and emerging AI technologies present and the extent to which these technologies can be leveraged to create good work and more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Key takeaways from the conversation:

• Jobs are at risk (but jobs will also be created): more than 6,000,000 people in the UK are employed in occupations that are likely to radically change or disappear entirely by 2030 due to technological progress and changing demographics. However, the adoption and use of AI will generate opportunities for the creation of new innovative jobs.
• Humans will work alongside tech: AI will not be able to replace human judgement and it is the responsibility of humans to decide how to teach it, deploy it and acquire the skills they need to thrive in the workplace of the future.
• Risks of algorithmic bias: while the risk of biases in AI are not new, generative AI’s ready accessibility to public data may magnify the risk. Maintaining trust in AI development will be essential and regulation will play a key role.
• AI can enhance DE&I: deploying AI in recruitment can mitigate biases in traditional decision-making and increase the pool of applicants.
• The metaverse presents opportunities: building the metaverse gives us the chance to better reflect our humanity and remove societal biases.

To access the podcast transcript, please visit the Future of Work Hub.

About the Future of Work Hub

Lewis Silkin LLP launched our Future of Work Hub eight years ago. The interest in and impact of the future of work continues to grow and plays a central role in both business and political thinking in the UK and across the world.

The world is changing continuously and at an unprecedented pace due to rapid technological advances, shifting demographics and evolving societal expectations. The convergence of these drivers of change is having a significant and direct impact on the world of work, bringing complex challenges for government, businesses and individual’s alike.

The Future of Work Hub is a resource that supports organisations in their horizon-scanning - enabling them to see ahead, identify and anticipate future opportunities and challenges and evaluate how best to respond. The Hub website brings together leading resources on the drivers shaping the world of work and regularly produces and curates original content from a broad range of stakeholders on how organisations can respond and adapt. The Hub also acts as a forum to generate and inform debate through conversations with leading experts, innovative thinkers and peer-to-peer insight sharing.

Visit our website or follow us on Twitter.