Young People and Work

Debate between Baroness Smith of Malvern and Lord Bishop of Hereford

Thursday 4th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[The Lord Bishop of Hereford]

My Lords, I want to ask the Minister about the issue of AI in this context. I speak with some personal experience, in that my son’s partner has recently been made redundant as the result of an AI system that she herself developed. It is inevitable that AI systems will grow, unchecked and unregulated, and will continue to reduce entry-level jobs across a range of sectors. What projections have the Government made of this, and what action do they plan to take to ensure that a healthy entry-level job market will remain for young people?

[Baroness Smith of Malvern (Lab)]

The right reverend Prelate is right. As Alan Milburn identifies, structural change in the labour market, particularly with respect to entry-level jobs, is an important issue. There are both opportunities and threats that come from the development of AI. Just this morning, I was talking to higher education vice-chancellors about the work they are doing to prepare their graduates to operate in a world where being able to use AI—notwithstanding the right reverend Prelate’s example—will make it more likely that they are equipped for a rapidly changing labour market resulting from AI and other things. We are working across government to identify the impact of AI on the future workforce. What is more, through our education system we are working to equip young people to be able to respond to those challenges, wherever they come from.