One in two fear AI will take their job - and bosses are already tracking you
A GMB union survey found nearly half of 5,000 UK workers fear AI will replace their jobs, with 30% reporting employers already using AI for tasks or tracking. Companies like Asda, Nestlé, and Amazon are accelerating automation, while Waymo plans to introduce driverless taxis in London, raising concerns over job losses for cabbies and warehouse staff.
A survey by the GMB union revealed that nearly half of 5,000 UK workers fear artificial intelligence will take their jobs. Just under three in ten respondents said their employer had already introduced AI, with a quarter reporting it performing tasks previously done by staff. Almost half of those surveyed claimed bosses were using AI to monitor employee activity. Asda announced up to 1,000 job cuts due to automation in its warehouse operations, relocating its George clothing online operation from Northamptonshire, Staffordshire, and Tyne and Wear to a single site in Derby. Nestlé proposed 450 job losses, with the GMB attributing some to increased AI use in human resources. Amazon unveiled its Proteus robot, designed to operate in previously inaccessible warehouse areas. Robert Battell, a Nestlé worker, expressed concern at the GMB Congress in Blackpool, stating that colleagues were losing jobs to robots and calling for government legislation to protect workers. He argued that AI could improve work conditions but warned against unregulated use by employers prioritizing profits. The GMB also highlighted risks to Britain’s 300,000 cabbies, as US firm Waymo plans to launch driverless taxis in London. Testing began last year with human safety drivers, and the company seeks Transport for London approval for autonomous rides. Ali Haydor, a private hire driver and GMB delegate, warned that driverless taxis could push thousands into unemployment, contradicting claims of efficiency gains. The union urged the UK government to introduce laws safeguarding workers from AI-driven job losses and earnings reductions. Without regulation, it argued, automation could exacerbate unemployment and poverty, particularly in sectors like retail, manufacturing, and transportation.
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