Human values, as well as AI, must be at the core of the future of work | Anna Thomas

Automation too often erodes conditions and job quality creating anxiety and overwork. To build good work', we must invest in people as well as tech

The UK economy is at a pivotal moment. Two years on from Covid, and it remains the only country in the developed world where people have continued to drop out of the labour market in greater numbers beyond the pandemic.

Rates of economic inactivity have risen and vacancies in the hospitality, health and technology sectors are proving hard to fill. At the same time, automation and the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology risk spreading fear and anxiety among workers. The UK is experiencing new forms of polarisation between good and poor-quality work.