Lawmakers Eye Coordinated Strategy for AI Workforce Development

A new bipartisan proposal aims to bring structure and strategy to how the U.S. prepares workers for the age of AI. 

Recently, Sens. Mark Warner and Mike Rounds introduced the Economy of the Future Commission Act, legislation that, if passed, would establish a commission to help prepare the U.S. workforce for AI changes. The commission would include industry experts, academic leaders, policymakers and members of Congress and would focus on “practical solutions” to help “workers adapt to the rapid economic and workforce changes driven by artificial intelligence,” according to Warner’s office. 

“AI is going to transform nearly every sector of our economy,” Warner in a press release. “The question isn’t whether these changes are coming — it’s whether we are prepared. We need clear-eyed analysis and practical, bipartisan solutions to help workers gain new skills, support people whose jobs are disrupted, and make sure the United States leads the world in the industries of the future. This legislation is about bringing together the expertise needed to chart that path forward.” 

Here’s a look at the commission’s tasks: 

• Within seven months, publish an interim report that identifies expected employment changes from AI. 

• Within seven months, provide accessible resources for the public to better understand the technology.  

• Within 13 months, produce a final report with legislative recommendations on AI education and workforce training, reskilling workers affected by automation, unemployment insurance policy and taxation policy. 

• Within 13 months, identify strategies to maintain U.S. leadership in key industries such as technology and manufacturing. 

Chris MacKenzie, spokesperson for Americans for Responsible Innovation, said the commission is a step in the right direction, but there is a lot of work that needs to be done, especially as economists are still trying to determine AI’s potential impact on the workforce and economy.  

“There are some big questions that need answering, in addition to the fact that we don’t have a clear understanding of the environment or the directionality of AI’s impact,” MacKenzie said. “It’s helpful to pull this commission together to get a clearer picture of the problem, and start coming up with that go bag of solutions that you might need.”  

AI Across the Government 

The White House and several federal agencies have also launched AI framework and oversight initiatives recently. On Friday, the White House released its National AI Legislative Framework, calling on Congress to establish a unified national AI policy that accelerates innovation while addressing security, privacy and workforce challenges. The framework emphasizes a federal approach to AI governance and outlines seven priority areas focused on innovation, workforce readiness, infrastructure and targeted safeguards. 

This week, the Treasury Department’s AI Transformation Office said it would conduct an AI Innovation Series. The series will feature four roundtable discussions with financial institutions, technology firms and regulators to “explore the highest-value AI use cases and identify practical approaches to scaling innovation while preserving safety and soundness.” 

Last week, the General Services Administration and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) announced a joint effort to evaluate AI models and services. The partnership is aimed at developing “clearer, more consistent ways to test and measure AI systems before agencies use them in real-world settings,” according to the press release. CAISI will help GSA evaluate advanced AI models, select and interpret benchmarks and conduct hands-on testing within real federal workflows.  

In February, the Labor Department released its AI Literacy Framework to provide voluntary guidance to help organizations integrate AI learning into existing employee training programs and build a stronger talent pipeline. Starting with a clear foundation for understanding AI literacy in the context of the workforce and education systems is essential, according to the DOL’s strategy. The agency also launched an AI Workforce Hub to provide tools and hiring guidance for workers and employers.

“Every job is going to be by AI, not be replaced by AI. You’ll work side by side with AI,” said Sonderling. “We believe that AI literacy will help the next generation understand how their jobs are going to work side by side with AI,” said Labor Deputy Secretary Keith Sonderling earlier this month.