AI minister Kendall says she doesn't use AI at work

Liz Kendall, the cabinet minister in charge of Artificial Intelligence (AI), has revealed she does not use AI in her job.

The Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary this week unveiled a £500m fund aimed at backing British AI firms, which she said was "crucial to our national security and economic prosperity".

But speaking to me in an AI-powered driverless car, in an interview for BBC Radio 5 Live and Newsnight, Kendall said she only uses the technology in her private life, including after having an allergic reaction to face cream.

A year ago her predecessor, Peter Kyle, unveiled a set of government tools powered by AI, named "Humphrey" after the scheming official from the classic BBC sitcom Yes, Minister.

"No one should be wasting time on something AI can do quicker and better," he said at the time.

However, his cabinet colleagues are less keen.

"Well, I use AI personally rather than at work, I've got to be honest," Kendall said.

"I'm much more likely to use it in my personal life."

Government officials, though, were expected to use it.

Kendall said that when she was at the Department for Work and Pensions, staff in job centres were using AI to rewrite CVs for jobseekers, and it could also be used to summarise responses to government consultations.

The New Statesman recently reported that "British laws are already being written by AI" but claimed it had been decided not to make the use public.

Kendall rejected the claim, saying: "It's certainly not written any of my laws that we're doing around social media and online safety."

Explaining how she had used AI recently, the Labour MP said: "Do you want to know the last thing I used it for?... I can't believe I'm about to say this... I got an allergic reaction to something. I'd put on some probably expensive and pointless potion I had to pay to put on my face.

"I got AI to go through the ingredients of all the products. Because you know there's so many of them really, to identify was there one that was common between the three, and to suggest something I could put on to stop this eczema that had come up.

"I checked the sources, it came from the National Eczema Society, I went to the pharmacist, I asked her for her best cream, she named the same one, I bought it, it worked."

The government's Sovereign AI unit is a venture capital fund that will invest in British AI companies, backed by £500m of public funding.

The driverless car demonstration, by the UK firm Wayve, was designed to highlight the potential the minister sees in AI-powered tech.

However, there are also concerns about the impact on jobs.

Last year, there were 123,000 people with taxi or private hire vehicle licences in London, and 381,000 across England. They could be put under threat by driverless cars.

Kendall said: "I think we've got to level with people that, you know, jobs will be created, jobs will change, some jobs will go, but new ones will take their place.

"I really understand why people are worried about the impact on jobs. We're offering 10 million people in the workforce, that's our goal, free AI skills because we think that's really important for the future.

"But I believe that it's probably likely to be a combination isn't it, people will still want to drive."

Some have raised concerns about the threats posed by AI.

A YouGov poll last year found 75% of Britons are concerned AI could pose a threat to humanity.

Asked if she had any worries about the technology, Kendall said: "No, I think that how it is developing is safe. We obviously have to think through the implications for jobs."

She added: "I'm not an engineer or a computer scientist, I am a historian and you can see from previous industrial and technological revolutions each time this sort of transition in the jobs, some lost, new ones created.

"The key question for me is: what is government's role?

"And our belief is we shouldn't just leave people to cope with this inevitable jobs transition on their own. We need to upskill the nation."

• Matt Chorley is on BBC Radio 5 Live weekdays from 2pm, and BBC2's Newsnight on Fridays from 10.30pm.

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