By Heather Stewart
Publication Date: 2026-06-05 17:00:00
Liz Kendall has insisted Labor will ensure artificial intelligence “works for workers” rather than abandoning people whose jobs are being swept away by rapid progress.
Amid increasing public fears about the impact of AI on employment, particularly for young people, the technology minister claimed that the government can influence the way AI is rolled out.
“We need to ensure that AI improves work: “We help people change jobs and we’re not like the Tories who just leave people alone,” she said.
The former leader is rumored to be at risk of being thrown out of the cabinet if Andy Burnham wins the Makerfield by-election, ousting Keir Starmer and Labor moves to the left.
But ahead of London Tech Week, which brings together domestic companies, US technology companies and policymakers in the capital from June 8, she wanted to set out a clearly Labor approach to the challenge of adopting AI.
Speaking from her Whitehall office, Kendall said: “For…