Workers Seek Greater Influence Over AI Adoption in UK Workplaces

A report released by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), backed by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), recommends that UK employers be legally required to consult employees before introducing artificial-intelligence (AI) systems. The proposal includes a “worker support levy” to fund portable benefits such as union membership, insurance and training, and suggests new structures for worker representation on corporate boards or a dedicated consultative body.

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The report frames AI adoption as a “pivotal moment in the history of work,” drawing parallels with the Industrial Revolution, which saw prolonged wage stagnation while profits rose. It argues that contemporary technological transitions can be steered toward broader social wellbeing only if workers have a decisive role in shaping them.

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• Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) – think-tank authoring the report.

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• Trades Union Congress (TUC) – national federation of trade unions supporting the recommendations.

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• Paul Nowak – General Secretary of the TUC, author of the report’s foreword.

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• Rachel Reeves – Chancellor of the Exchequer, who highlighted AI as a defining technology in a recent Mais lecture.

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• Business groups – unnamed employer associations warning of cost pressures from recent labour-rights reforms.

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The IPPR’s internal survey found:

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• 20 % of respondents say AI has improved their working life.

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• 21 % say AI has made it worse.

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• 4 % believe they have already lost a job because of AI.

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These figures illustrate divergent perceptions of AI’s impact across the workforce.

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The report’s authors argue that the central question is not whether AI will disrupt work, but who will control that disruption and whose interests will be served. Paul Nowak stresses that meaningful social progress from technological change requires active, decisive shaping by workers. The government, through Chancellor Reeves, describes AI as “the defining technology of our era” and pledges to maximise its contribution to the economy and public sector through accelerated adoption.

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Employer organisations contend that the combination of new workers’ rights, tax increases and a higher national living wage has raised the cost of employing staff. They caution that additional levies or consultation requirements could further strain business finances and potentially hinder investment in AI.

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The survey’s 4 % self-reported job loss figure lacks independent verification, and the report does not provide longitudinal data on actual displacement trends. Moreover, the mechanics of a “worker support levy” and its financing—whether by companies or employees—remain unspecified, leaving a gap in assessing its feasibility.

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• “The question is not whether AI will disrupt working life, but who will have the power to shape that disruption – and whose interests it will ultimately serve,” — IPPR Report Authors

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• “Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC who has written a foreword to the report, said: “Great technological transitions only result in meaningful social progress when they are shaped actively and decisively.” — Paul Nowak, General Secretary, TUC

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• “the defining technology of our era” — Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer

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• “To deliver on the promise of technology to enhance lives, inside and out of the workplace, AI must be designed, governed and negotiated by and for workers.” — Paul Nowak, General Secretary, TUC

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The IPPR recommendations are slated for discussion in upcoming parliamentary committees on labour and technology. The TUC plans to campaign for statutory consultation duties and the establishment of a worker support levy, while employer groups are preparing counter-proposals emphasizing flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The outcome will shape how AI is integrated into UK workplaces over the next few years.

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