To outsiders, Rishi Sunak, as head of the nominal Conservative Party, must appear to be the leader of the UK’s conservative movement—that which values generational bonds and seeks to pass down values through “acculturation.” Those who have been studying the actions of this party over the past decade and more will not, however, be surprised by the Tory prime minister’s disregard for the proper, human care of both those entering and departing the living world.
During his trip to the U.S., Mr. Sunak told ITV News he would be “comfortable” with robots looking after his grandparents or teaching his children. This, he suggested, would constitute an “improve[ment to] our lives.”
The prime minister was asked: “Would you be comfortable with a robot looking after your grandmother or teaching your children?” To which he responded:
Yeah … look, technology throughout time has improved our lives and will continue to do so. Our job in government is to make sure that we can get those benefits … but make sure that at the same time, we are protecting ourselves against the clear risks that the technology poses.
This came at the same time as Mr. Sunak declared his desire to keep artificial intelligence in check. Former lawyer Molly Kingsley was, as an executive founder of the child advocacy group UsForThem, one of the most vocal critics of the Conservative Party government’s COVID response (for which Mr. Sunak was partly responsible), particularly in relation to the treatment of the young, many of whom came out the other end speaking in different accents due to their massively increased time with technology. Even she was “gobsmacked” by the now-prime minister’s comments on the possibility of pushing children towards more time with technology, telling The European Conservative:
To suggest a robot can replace a teacher is a chilling and transhumanist view which must be roundly rejected. Children need love, nurture, and humanity—not robots and AI.
