AI threatens three in four London jobs as OECD issues stark warning

London has become one of the world’s leading centres for artificial intelligence, but a new report suggests its greatest strength could also become its biggest vulnerability.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, around three in four jobs in the capital are highly exposed to generative AI—more than in any other major city across the developed world.

The finding reflects London’s concentration of finance, legal services, consulting, technology and creative industries, where much of the daily workload consists of analysing information, producing content and processing data—the very tasks AI systems are becoming increasingly capable of performing.

Exposure, however, does not necessarily mean replacement.

Many of these roles are likely to be reshaped rather than eliminated, with AI handling repetitive processes while employees focus on judgement, client relationships and strategic decision-making. Even so, the pace of change is accelerating.

The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that 3.4 million jobs across Britain could disappear over the next decade because of AI, while millions more are expected to see their work fundamentally altered.

The impact is already being felt. Major professional services firms have begun reducing graduate recruitment as AI takes on work traditionally carried out by junior employees, raising questions about how the next generation will gain experience in knowledge-based professions.

The challenge for policymakers is no longer whether AI will transform the labour market, but how quickly workers can adapt.

For London, the stakes are particularly high. The capital’s economic success has long depended on high-value professional services. If AI boosts productivity, London could strengthen its position as a global financial and technology hub. If the transition is poorly managed, it risks widening inequality and disrupting one of Britain’s most important economic engines.

The debate is therefore shifting beyond innovation towards resilience.

The question is no longer whether artificial intelligence will change London’s economy.

It is whether the capital can prepare its workforce quickly enough to benefit from that transformation rather than be overtaken by it.