London Jokes About AI Until Jobs Stop Laughing

London likes to think it is fluent in the language of the future, but the tone shifted this week as concerns over artificial intelligence moved from tech conferences to the city’s economic core. Speaking ahead of a major address in the financial district, Sir Sadiq Khan warned that AI could rip through the labour market if it continues to grow without clear direction or safeguards. The warning landed uncomfortably close to home in a city where finance, creative work and professional services are not just industries but identities. London’s economy thrives on knowledge work, pattern recognition and decision making, the same tasks AI systems are learning to perform faster and cheaper. For many workers, the fear is not replacement tomorrow but erosion today, where roles quietly change until they no longer exist in any meaningful form.

The anxiety is not abstract. Polling conducted by City Hall suggests more than half of London’s workforce expects AI to affect their job within the next year, a statistic that reflects both curiosity and unease. Entry level roles appear most exposed, particularly in sectors where automation can already handle analysis, drafting and basic decision-making. That raises an uncomfortable question for a city that sells itself as a launchpad for ambition. If first jobs disappear faster than new ones appear, younger workers may never get the chance to climb the ladder at all. Khan argued that without intervention, the city risks trading innovation for inequality, creating a future where productivity rises while opportunity narrows and wealth concentrates in fewer hands.

At the same time, the mayor acknowledged the appeal of AI when it is used deliberately. From public services to healthcare and environmental planning, the technology offers tools London badly needs. The issue, as framed in the speech, is speed without strategy. A new taskforce bringing together policymakers, skills experts and AI industry figures is expected to review how the city can respond, with findings due later this year. Free AI training for Londoners has also been promised, positioning skills as the pressure valve for disruption. National leaders have echoed similar themes, pointing to large-scale training programmes already underway. Whether that reassurance lands will depend on how quickly workers feel support turning into security rather than slogans.