UK urged to ‘embrace an android’

Britain is unprepared for the technological revolution and should increase spending significantly on research and development to keep up with advances in areas like robotics, a Labour-commissioned report warned.

But the Future of Work Commission said it was also vital to introduce new protections through a Charter for Good Work, to stop employers using technology as a “new tool of worker exploitation”.

The report was welcomed warmly by Labour deputy leader Tom Watson, who said it showed predictions of technology’s apocalyptic impact on the world of work were pessimistic.

Calling on Britain to “embrace an android”, Mr Watson said the country had too few robots and that, properly regulated, they could “set us free”.

He welcomed a proposal for spending on research and development to be fixed at 3.5 per cent of national income by 2030.