Britain
Politics
No 10 AI adviser: Burnham recruits policy experts
The new No 10 AI adviser is one of several jobs Downing Street is advertising as Andy Burnham tries to fill gaps in the prime minister’s policy unit, according to the Guardian. Its deputy political editor, Jessica Elgot, reports that the roles give a view of what Burnham thinks matters most, from artificial intelligence to the cost of living.
No 10 AI adviser: what the job involves
The Guardian says the adviser will need “deep expertise” in the sector and will lead preparations for the effect of the AI boom on the workforce. The paper points to concern about lower-level professional services jobs, especially for new graduates. The post-holder will also be Burnham’s main adviser on frontier AI and on how it could change public services and society more widely.
According to the report, several cabinet ministers have openly raised worries about the UK’s readiness. The Guardian notes that Ed Miliband, the foreign secretary, called the dangers of AI “daunting” in his Labour conference speech on 28 September.
Other No 10 policy unit roles
Alongside the No 10 AI adviser, the Guardian says the new hires will flesh out a policy unit where many posts have been vacant since Keir Starmer left, and that senior sources said the prime minister wanted to take time to recruit. One adviser will work on greater public control over everyday essentials, with a brief across transport, energy, housing, water and the environment and a focus on the cost of living. The advert asks for someone who can “bring challenge and external perspectives into policy development”.
An economic adviser will replace Starmer’s aide Minouche Shafik and look at growth and macroeconomic policy. The paper adds that Burnham took advice from Andy Haldane, Richard Hughes and Jim O’Neill before becoming prime minister, but that none has agreed to a No 10 role. It says Haldane and O’Neill have criticised his economic approach, particularly on increased public spending and a lack of growth-focused policy. Other posts will cover Scotland, work and welfare, and immigration, security and justice.
What this means for the No 10 AI adviser and Burnham’s priorities
The Guardian reports that Burnham is frustrated with the cautious options Whitehall has offered on public control, and that he has asked officials for more radical choices on the Thames Water problem. For the No 10 AI adviser and the other advertised posts, the adverts themselves are the only confirmed detail, and no appointments have been announced. For related coverage, see our reports on PMQs on 21 October,
Healey’s business rates plan and the latest YouGov poll.
Source: The Guardian (Jessica Elgot).
