They’re back. The Metropolitan Police is bracing itself as Just Stop Oil kicks off a three-week campaign to bring what it calls disruption on an “unprecedented scale”.
No one can doubt for a moment that the cause is a worthy one. Just this week, climate scientists have warned that the 1.5C warming threshold could be breached this decade, far sooner than previously predicted. The world is experiencing record heat, and it is because of the greenhouse gasses humans are pumping into the atmosphere.
Yet the nature and tactics deployed by Just Stop Oil do little to help their cause. Indeed, high-profile examples of people being prevented from taking their children to school or elderly relatives to the hospital may actively turn otherwise sympathetic onlookers against them.
There is also the issue of resources and cost. The Met has spent £15 million policing these protesters in 12 months. And now, Scotland Yard is stretched by the protests sparked by conflict in the Middle East, including a small minority who take to London’s streets to glorify terrorism.
Indeed, Commissioner Mark Rowley has told the London Assembly and the Mayor that he is “deeply concerned” about the impact of the protests on day-to-day local policing and that he may be forced to seek assistance from other forces. Such are the demands on the Met.
AI’s uncertain future
It is too soon to say what will be the long-term impact of the UK’s AI Safety Summit, but with many of the right people in tech and government in attendance, it was certainly a solid start.
With the Bletchley Declaration out of the way, the highlight for many (and perhaps the greatest comms risk for Number 10) was the conversation between Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk. In it, the Tesla and SpaceX chief called AI “the most destructive force in history” and that “there will come a time where there are no jobs”.
The fear of technology-driven unemployment is a well-worn one. Historically, tech breakthroughs have in fact created jobs for humans to work alongside machines. Indeed, there is a decent chance you are reading this before, after (or even during) the working day. It could yet happen, but perhaps it’s still best to show up to work on Monday.
Beatles’ brilliance
The Beatles are still making music more than 60 years after they formed. Now And Then, written and sung by John Lennon, later developed by George Harrison and finished by Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr, is a real team effort. It’s also brilliant.
To match their longevity, Taylor Swift would have to be releasing new music in 2069. That is, if AI hasn’t taken the jobs of pop stars too.
