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The NEU’s general secretary, Daniel Kebede, said the government is “running away with itself” over plans to develop AI teaching tools. He expressed concerns that lower-paid teaching roles will be replaced, the broadcaster reported yesterday (17 March).
The union first voiced its concerns at the beginning of January, when the government announced it would set up a fund of ÂŁ1 million to help enable 16 tech companies to develop AI teaching tools.Â
Kebede told Sky News that while there were positive aspects to the rollout of AI, he felt there had “not been any meaningful discussion with the sector yet”.
Although junior roles could be most affected, there is a long way to go before AI replaces them, according to Jeffrey Pole, co-founder of AI assurance platform, Warden AI.
He told HR magazine: “From what we’re seeing in the market, there are very few roles that AI can fully replace at this stage. Concerns about immediate job losses due to AI often underestimate the timeline for AI to reach the level of sophistication required for full automation.”
Read more: Third of employees feel unprepared to use AI at work
However, Pole stressed the unique opportunity that those in junior roles have when it comes to AI. He said: “Junior roles are likely to be the most affected, as AI is more easily applied to repetitive, lower-skilled tasks than to strategic, high-level work. This could mean fewer traditional entry-level openings in some industries.
“Younger employees are often the most flexible and adaptable. Those in junior roles have an opportunity to work alongside AI, helping their organisations integrate it effectively rather than being displaced by it.”
Last week, science and technology secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News Breakfast that there was £45 billion worth of productivity and efficiency savings to be made within the government if it embraced AI.
When asked by Sky reporters how many government employees could lose their jobs to AI, Kyle said: “It is almost certain that the headcount will go down. But it’s not going to be an arbitrary overall figure.”
Speaking to HR magazine, Logan Currie, co-founder of career growth platform, CareerSpan, said there were two possible outcomes resulting from the implementation of AI into the workplace: “In one scenario, schools and employers implement AI from the top down. This replaces entry-level positions entirely, creating a challenging bottleneck where new educators can’t access the experience they need to advance professionally.
“In the more promising alternative, junior educators who adapt will find their roles enhanced rather than diminished – spending less time on paperwork and more time on meaningful student interactions.
“Young professionals will need to develop skills that complement AI rather than compete with it, focusing on emotional intelligence, creative problem-solving and authentic connection-building.”
Read more: Unite calls for workers to influence AI rollout
Currie emphasised that employers across all sectors should lead with a “people-first approach”.Â
She said: “I’ve seen that when people understand how their unique skills complement rather than compete with AI, technological change becomes an opportunity rather than a threat.”
Pole echoed this and said: “The key for both employers and employees is to embrace change early and proactively. Hard resistance might slow adoption in the short term, but economic pressures will eventually drive AI adoption, and delayed adaptation could lead to greater disruption.
“Rather than reacting to AI as a threat, organisations should focus on AI literacy: training staff to understand, use, and work alongside AI. This is a multi-decade transformation, not an overnight shift, and organisations that take a measured approach will be best positioned for long-term success.”