Sign in

Roa Powell

@roapowell.bsky.social
91 followers 117 following 44 posts

senior research fellow at IPPR working on AI.

PostsRepliesMedia
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
@ippr.org has repeatedly recommended bolder policies that prevent these sorts of excess charges in the first place - putting money back in the pockets of both consumers and UK innovators The CMA is currently deciding on rules to fix these app store payments and government must back a bold approach
ippr.org
Fair play: How competition policy can drive growth | IPPR
At the same time, the UK economy is suffering from chronic low investment, and firms have increasingly cited uncertainty around competition enforcement as
020
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Over £1bn claimed for UK consumers in today's Google Play trial, clearly showing the stakes for the public when digital competition is undermined and prices become uncompetitive. But class actions like this can only fix harms that have already taken place. 1/2
independent.co.uk
Google faces £1 billion legal claim from UK consumers over Play Store fees
Claim alleges that Google broke competition law by imposing a commission of up to 30 per cent on app developers for purchases made through its Play Store
144
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Damning testimony from the CMA's former chair, chief economic advisor and cloud inquiry chair on how government has tackled big tech market power. Quotes from our @ippr.org report. Bold enforcement of digital competition policy is not anti-tech, and should be part of our agenda on homegrown AI.
034
Reposted by Roa Powell
Carsten Jung @carsjung.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Business dynamism is crucial for growth. But in digital markets, big tech behemoths are holding back UK businesses. Our new study shows that tech-intensive firms are not getting a good deal from big tech. Politicans need to empower the CMA to enforce competition properly! bsky.app/profile/roap...
187
Reposted by Roa Powell
Jack Stilgoe @jackstilgoe.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Should be possible to gather new coalitions around the diagnosis that big tech are anti-innovation
062
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
As a result we are recommending a new strategic steer for the CMA. Ministers need to back bold enforcement and recognise this could be part of their growth and tech sovereignty agenda.
ippr.org
Bottleneck Britain: How digital competition could power UK growth and sovereignty | IPPR
These companies hold extraordinary control over the digital infrastructure we all rely on. They have earned much of their success and deserve to profit, bu
151
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
92% support conduct rules the DMCCA already permits. And on average 72% say they would lower prices or improve products if the rules we tested were introduced. 5/6
130
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Asked what constrains their growth, businesses ranked big tech market power above access to finance and talent. Regulatory costs ranked higher still, but competition isn't what they mean, as most businesses experience this as an enabler not red tape. 4/6
140
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Meanwhile resilience is suffering. 62% say switching from their main tech provider would be costly and disruptive. 7% couldn't switch at all. And in the mean time half of businesses would cease operating in days if they lost access. 3/6
140
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
79% are concerned about dominant platforms limiting competition and the harms they experience are concrete. Over a third have shelved a product because a tech giant already dominated that space while close to half have seen platforms favour their own products. 2/6
130
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The UK is spending £500 million to build British AI champions while leaving in place a market structure that will see them acquired or outcompeted. New report today on digital competition for growth and sovereignty - with polling of 417 UK businesses that rely on tech. Here's what they told us 1/6
173
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The risks this group warned of feel so familiar today - misuse of AI by political megalomaniacs, enlarged techniques of social persuasion and international cut-throat competition. I wrote a few years ago for BJHS about why they were so right even though the technology has changed so much
cambridge.org
The ‘artificial intelligentsia’ and its discontents: an exploration of 1970s attitudes to the ‘social responsibility of the machine intelligence worker’ | BJHS Themes | Cambridge Core
The ‘artificial intelligentsia’ and its discontents: an exploration of 1970s attitudes to the ‘social responsibility of the machine intelligence worker’ - Volume 8
131
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
This week we have a guest post on our substack from @adamc-c.bsky.social Adam looks at why workers have unique leverage over AI adoption right now - and how we use that to shape deep AI transformation. Really recommend giving this one a read!
open.substack.com
Workers actually have significant leverage right now
Businesses are desperate for workers to adopt AI, but what offer are they making?
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
I wrote something short on the recent discourse about AI being left wing. Nobody is ever going to agree on what "neutral" looks like for AI - just look at any debate about BBC neutrality. So, what can we practically do to ensure AI isn't acting as an opaque persuasion machine?
modeleconomy.substack.com
Of course, AI has a politics. The question is, who is in control?
Making AI neutral sounds like a fair goal, but if it is never fully possible, how can we manage the biases that remain?
021
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Good to see lots of our @ippr.org recommendations repeated here: 1. Redistribute AI's upsides, 2. Get better at measuring the economic impact and 3. Embark on more ambitious public good AI missions
ippr.org
Acceleration is not a strategy: A framework for directing AI towards public value before it's too late | IPPR
The public are understandably worried about AI and, so far, governments have struggled to articulate a clear vision for what it would mean for AI to go wel
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Bullish optimism on AI no longer seems to be working
economist.com
The AI backlash is only getting started
Here is how to deal with it
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
“What should exist? To me, that’s the most exciting question imaginable. What do we need that we don’t have?” Positive visions of a future transformed by AI tend to come from Silicon Valley, but in this new Substack @carsjung.bsky.social explores how we could all have a say.
120
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
I take a look at the messy world of AI job loss predictions where the people building the technology oscillate between 'half of jobs gone in 5 years' and 'nothing to fear' An independent voice cutting through the noise is essential - but it won't be easy. So, where should the institute start? 2/2
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Some news… @carsjung.bsky.social and I are launching a Substack! We will be using this to explore what needs to change for AI to actually work for most people (spoiler: it is a lot) First post is up looking at today’s launch of the AI economics institute and how to predict AI's jobs impact 1/2
modeleconomy.substack.com
AI jobs predictions keep missing the point. Here’s what to measure instead
A government institute to track how AI disrupts jobs is long overdue. But as it officially launches today, will it measure the right things?
144
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Great report from @josephevans.bsky.social And it is not just @ippr.org recommending portable benefits to support workers through the AI transition - even OpenAI have floated the idea. If AI's biggest winners agree, what are we waiting for?
031
Reposted by Roa Powell
Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
IMHO possibly the most interesting question in finance and economics right now is the extent to which future AI dominance can retain any monopoly characteristics. People assume because it's "Silicon Valley" that those explosive network effects will necessarily pertain. They really might not... 1/
66320
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
But we can’t let the companies lead the debate. AI’s impact is already uneven - 60% of high earners use AI daily vs 16% of low earners and young people are facing the most urgent impacts Government needs a clear voice on this, before backlash escalates and only the simplistic answers are left 3/3
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
AI companies are calling for policies which on the surface feel progressive - taxes on their profits, redistributive wealth funds and strong worker power. When even AI’s biggest winners are pushing for redistribution, it is time to government to be thinking big. 2/3
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
We won’t know the scale of AI’s jobs impact until late in the day. But if governments wait until then to prepare, state capacity will be grinding into gear just as people need support. I wrote for @politicshome.bsky.social on what government should do now: www.politicshome.com/news/article... 1/3
politicshome.com
The Consequences Of Inaction On AI-Driven Job Loss Are Coming Into View
The scale of the disruption to the labour market from AI is becoming clear; we cannot leave it to big tech or populists to frame the debate about w...
110
Reposted by Roa Powell
Verity Harding @verityharding.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Among Gen Z AI’s net favourability is now minus 44, driven by fears about jobs, the environment, creativity. But there’s another trend that many have missed: AI just isn’t very cool. My latest post explores the trend, the reasons behind it, and the consequences for the OpenAI/Anthropic rivalry:
open.substack.com
Does AI have a 'cool' problem?
For young people and artists, AI and its architects are the object of derision. Does it matter?
162
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Time is running out for the UK to make a clear decision on where in the AI stack we can compete. Great to talk to @matildamartin.bsky.social for this piece on what comes next.
politicshome.com
We're Going To Need A Bigger Stick: Britain Seeks AI Sovereignty
Britain has now made clear that it wants AI sovereignty, of a kind. But there are numerous hurdles in the way, reports Matilda Martin. For a seat a...
011
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
This shows just how limited our regulatory leverage is - US tech companies hold all the cards. But not everywhere. Some digital markets are genuinely still competitive. That's why the window to act is so narrow, we need to embed competition now, before AI follows the same path.
010
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
If AI starts to be a major source of information for people - it really matters where it gets information from. It is probably more complicated than AI having a clear political bias, but more transparency from AI companies is the bear minimum we need to understand what is going on here.
021
Reposted by Roa Powell
Ethan Mollick @emollick.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Missing from the “will AI replace doctors?” debate is that doctors (and lawyers and psychologists and bankers) all vote & form the donor base to political parties & have deep community ties & sit in Congress. The government will largely determine what AI is allowed to do, no matter what it can do.
5627
Reposted by Roa Powell
Institute for Public Policy Research @ippr.org · 28/04/2026
Liz Kendall is right that our dependence on a handful of US tech companies is a national security risk. Three US tech companies control 80% of UK cloud infrastructure, we don’t have a single frontier AI company in the UK, and AI firms are increasingly deciding who gets access to their models. 🧵
2125
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
In the US, the Democrats are already making AI a major part of their campaigns. I wrote about what Labour might learn from this, and why it isn't so easy for our politicians to ride any tidal wave of anti-AI sentiment. labourlist.org/2026/04/the-...
lnkd.in
LinkedIn
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
011
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
AI rose in salience more than any other issue for US voters last year, with backlash from creatives, X-risk activists, parents, workers, environmentalists and more We expect pressure to build in 2026 as AI gets even more capable, and @ippr.org we argue governments need to urgently spread the upside
034
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
The best outcome would be collective licensing on fair terms - and a greater focus on AI outputs rather than just AI training - but at the moment AI companies hold all the power. 3/3
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
As we documented at @ippr.org, the stand-off between creatives and AI companies is bad for everyone. It hurts AI accuracy (see examples of AI's patchy sourcing) and it hurts our news ecosystem (publishers predict a 43% fall in traffic in three years). 2/3
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
Great to see the UK ditch plans to give AI companies a free-for-all on how they use creators' data. But as government continues to sit on the fence, we are missing opportunities to shape a licensing market that is already emerging by supporting collective bargaining for creatives 1/2
thetimes.com
Labour ditches plan to let AI firms use copyrighted works
Ministers abandon ‘opt-out’ policy after backlash from Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney over the ‘theft’ of creative material for software training
134
Reposted by Roa Powell
Carsten Jung @carsjung.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Particularly excited about the AI agenda taking some good shape. IPPR has long called for UK focussing on AI application layer, do more on sovereign AI, use procurement more actively + track AI economic impacts. Eg here: www.ippr.org/articles/the...
ippr.org
The direction of AI innovation in the UK: Insights from a new database and a roadmap for reform | IPPR
With the latest models achieving top scores in scientific and diagnostic reasoning tests, they could usher in a new era of growth. In our previous report w
111
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
The BBC shouldn't have to choose between reach and integrity, and a bold charter can help enable it to partner from a position of strength. Read the full blog from @ippr.org 5/5
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Charter renewal offers a chance to level the playing field with: 1. Conduct requirements for tech giants so the BBC can negotiate on fair terms 2. Prominence requirements so public service journalism is visible on social media 3. Funding and governance reform so the BBC can innovate on its own terms
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
This is the predictable result of a massive power imbalance where tech platforms command vast resources and face minimal regulation, while the BBC operates on a shrinking budget and under intense scrutiny.
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Right now, the outcomes are bad whatever the BBC does: It can’t opt out – it blocks AI scraping but still has content misrepresented as chatbots turn to secondary sources And it struggles to partner effectively – its YouTube deal risks sending viewers to a commercial platform and weakening iPlayer
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
The BBC is facing a series of lose-lose choices. Partner with Big Tech and risk compromising what makes it unique. Or resist and fail to reach the audiences it exists to serve. @sofiahewson.bsky.social and I consider how Charter Renewal can help change this. 1/5
145
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
With the BBC, Guardian, Sky and more already signed up, this new coalition will help the news industry increase its bargaining power, but it won't be enough, and our report also maps the next steps government must take to ensure AI's impact on UK news is net positive 3/3
ippr.org
AI's got news for you: Can AI improve our information environment? | IPPR
Already, 24 per cent of people report using AI for information seeking every week. But there is widespread concern that the information provided will be in
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Our research shows that AI can't currently be relied on as a good source of news - but that the answer isn't an endless standoff between publishers and tech companies. We need a fair deal that works for both sides and that means collective licensing of news content to be used in AI answers. 2/3
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
So far, AI companies have held all the power to decide how they use journalists' work. Today, the UK news industry have started to change this with a new coalition that gives journalism a collective voice to push back - exactly the sort of initiative we call for in our latest @ippr.org report. 1/3
110
Reposted by Roa Powell
Carsten Jung @carsjung.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
NEW: The policies of today will shape AI tools of the future. Let's make sure it improves - not destroys - our news environment. 👇
012
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
We argue that a far better future is possible. To make it happen, we need: 1. AI companies to pay for news with government support for collective licensing so that a wide range of news outlets become visible. 2. Nutrition labels for AI answers and greater user choice on preferred sources.
ippr.org
AI's got news for you: Can AI improve our information environment? | IPPR
Already, 24 per cent of people report using AI for information seeking every week. But there is widespread concern that the information provided will be in
000
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
And, more work is needed to understand how commercial relationships between AI companies and news outlets impact prominence. Does having a licensing deal with OpenAI mean your content will be prioritised in AI answers? And will there be transparency around how these deals work?
110
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
But - not all news sites want to be visible in AI answers. The BBC, the UK's most trusted news site, only shows up in half of AI tools. Murky rules on how content gets used mean that trying to block AI won't protect your news brand.
100
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
AI also has the potential to create new winners and losers as news sites jostle for visibility. Generative engine optimisation (GEO) is starting to become the new SEO, but it won't always be the most trustworthy sites that win.
110
Roa Powell @roapowell.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
We found that AI draws on a narrow range of outlets, with each AI tool concentrating heavily on just one news site.
110