EconomyWhy is the UK at the forefront of AI-driven job cuts?

Barclays plans to cut 5,000 jobs by the end of 2026 as it uses AI to reduce costs. Its chief executive calls AI the “icing on the cake” of the bank’s cost-cutting strategy, while unions accuse Barclays of using the technology as a pretext for reducing staff. AI-linked job losses are occurring in the UK at twice the rate seen in the US and Germany, raising concerns about employment.