Baroness Martha Lane-Fox has been appointed chair of the new London AI and Jobs Taskforce.
The Mayor's London AI and Jobs Taskforce will bring together expertise from within government, the business community, trade unions the skills sector and the AI industry.
The Taskforce will examine how AI is already beginning to reshape work in London, identify the most significant near-term risks and opportunities for Londoners and employers, and advise on the practical actions needed to strengthen skills, protect pathways into work and support broad-based growth. It will also consider how work is changing now, who is being left behind and what immediate interventions would make a difference.
Baroness Lane-Fox co-founded lastminute.com in 1998 and champions ethical and inclusive approaches to AI, highlighting how AI can expand digital capability and arguing that access must include the skills to build and adapt emerging technologies.
She is a former UK digital champion and helped create gov.uk and is a long‑standing advocate for diversity in tech, calling for underrepresented groups to shape future AI policy and development.
Anna Thomas MBE has been confirmed as deputy chair. Thomas is the co-founder of the Institute for the Future of Work which ensures AI and technological change transforms working lives for good. She advises Government, the Responsible Technology Adoption Unit (RTA), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), professional bodies and the World Economic Forum on AI governance and innovation, with a focus on good work, equality and design.
Other members of the taskforce include Professor John Amaechi OBE - organisational psychologist and founder of APS Intelligence Ltd. Professor of Leadership at the University of Exeter Business School; Angie Ma – co-founder of Faculty, Europe's leading applied AI company; Caroline Al-Beyerty - Chamberlain and Chief Financial Officer of the City of London Corporation,; Gaia Marcus - Director of the Ada Lovelace Institute; Adam Cantwell-Corn - AI and tech policy lead at the Trades Union Congress; and Sara Gorton - Regional Secretary of UNISON.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping our economy and society. It presents real opportunities – from driving economic growth to improving public services – but also brings with it new challenges, including the potential impact on London’s labour market.
“My approach to AI is rooted in realism - being clear-eyed and pragmatic about the potential perils, while also being alert to – and enthusiastic about – the amazing possibilities.
“It’s why today, I am pleased to confirm that tech trailblazer Baroness Martha Lane-Fox will chair my new London AI, Jobs and Opportunity Taskforce.
“The Taskforce will recommend action to support Londoners to acquire the skills they’ll need for the future. It will also ensure we’re seizing the opportunities of AI to boost productivity, improve public services, and create new, high-quality jobs for our communities as part of my work to build a fairer, safer and more prosperous London for everyone.”
Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, said: “London has always thrived by combining creativity, openness and reinvention. AI is bringing incredible opportunities, but also real disruption. This taskforce will look at where work is changing now, where London should lean in with more ambition, and how we make sure the benefits are shared more widely rather than felt only by those already ahead.”
