British bank Barclays plans to cut 5,000 jobs by the end of 2026 as it integrates artificial intelligence to reduce costs. Its chief executive has described AI as the "icing on the cake" of its cost-cutting strategy, while unions accuse the bank of using the technology as an excuse to reduce its workforce. AI-linked job losses in the UK are running at twice the rate seen in the US and Germany, raising concerns about the future of employment. As companies increasingly embrace AI to boost efficiency and productivity, is the UK witnessing an economic transformation or the beginning of a wider employment crisis? And is the country prepared for the changes ahead? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Peter Geoghegan – Editor of Democracy for Sale Pieter Cleppe – Editor-in-chief at BrusselsReport.eu Rob Garlick – Author of AI – Anarchy or Abundance? Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X : https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #ArtificialIntelligence #AIJobs #UKJobs #Barclays #JobCuts #AILayoffs #UKEconomy #Productivity #LabourMarket #InsideStory #AlJazeeraEnglish