Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson spoke out against birth stimulation programs in Europe. In a column for the Daily Mail, he stated that a declining population could be a "relief," especially against the backdrop of the development of artificial intelligence.
As reported by bb.lv, he expressed this in an article for the Daily Mail, calling the trend of declining birth rates "the best news in the world."
Johnson urged the governments of European countries to stay away from such programs against the backdrop of the development of artificial intelligence technologies. According to the former prime minister, if AI can indeed replace workers in the future, there is no need to increase the population.
"When these new encouraging trends lead to a real reduction in the planet's population, it will not be a catastrophe. It will be the long-awaited relief from an unbearable burden," Johnson wrote.
The former British prime minister himself has nine children. Four children were born during Johnson's marriage to lawyer Marina Wheeler. They lived together for 25 years until 2018. In 2009, he had an illegitimate daughter with art historian Helen Macintyre. Another four children were born to Boris Johnson in his current marriage to Carrie Symonds, which they entered into in 2021. The couple's youngest child was born in May of last year.
Johnson's statement appears paradoxical in light of his own large family, but reflects the growing discussion about the future of the labor market and the role of technology, writes bb.lv.
