The Business and Trade Committee is holding an inquiry into Artificial Intelligence (AI) in order to better understand the opportunities and costs for businesses and the workforce, and to make recommendations on Government priorities.
AI has advanced rapidly in recent years, supported by major improvements in computing power, data availability and the emergence of large language models (LLMs). This has enabled AI to perform an expanding range of tasks.
AI adoption has increased, but uptake remains uneven. As adoption accelerates, AI is expected to have significant impacts on UK business and the UK workforce, reshaping work. It will prove a growth industry in itself, enhance productivity, disrupt existing industries and business models, cost jobs, and create jobs.
The Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan includes a twentyfold expansion of public AI hardware by 2030 and seeks to leverage private investment through initiatives such as the US–UK Tech Prosperity Deal (with £30 billion committed by major technology firms).