As AI gains a workplace foothold, states are trying to make sure workers don’t get left behind

HARTFORD, Connecticut — With many jobs expected to eventually rely on generative artificial intelligence, governments are trying to help workers upgrade their tech skills before they become obsolete and outpaced by increasingly smart machines.

Connecticut is working to create what advocates say will be the nation’s first Citizens AI Academy: a free online repository of curated courses that users can take to learn basic skills or earn a certification they need for a job.

“This is a rapidly evolving area,” said Democratic Senator James Maroney. “So we all need to learn what are the best sources to stay informed. How do we update our skills? Who can be reliable sources?”

Determining what skills are needed in an AI world can be challenging for legislators, given the rapid developments in the technology and differing opinions on which approach is best.

Gregory LaBlanc, a professor of finance, strategy and law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, says workers should be taught how to use and manage generative AI rather than how the technology works, in part because computers will soon be better able to perform some tasks that were once performed by humans.

“What we need is to focus on things that are complementary to AI, rather than learning to be really bad imitators of AI,” he said. “We need to figure out what AI is not good at and then learn those things. And those things tend to be things like creativity, empathy, and high-level problem solving.”

He said that historically, people did not need knowledge of technological developments to be successful.

“When electricity came along, we didn’t tell everyone to become electrical engineers,” LeBlanc said.

This year, at least four states—Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Maryland—have proposed legislation that attempted to address AI in the classroom in some way. They ranged from Connecticut’s planned AI Academy, originally included in a massive AI regulation bill that failed but the concept is still being developed by state education officials, to proposed working groups that would study how to safely integrate AI into public schools. One such bill died in the Mississippi Legislature, while the others remained in motion.

One bill in California requires a state task force to consider including AI literacy skills in math, science, history and social science curricula.

“AI has the potential to positively impact the way we live, but only if we know how to use it and in a responsible way,” said the bill’s author, MP Marc Berman, in a statement. declaration. “Regardless of their future profession, we must ensure that all students understand the basic principles and applications of AI, that they have the skills to recognize when AI is being applied, and that they are aware of the implications, limitations and ethical considerations of AI .”

The bill is supported by the California Chamber of Commerce. CalChamber policy advocate Ronak Daylami said in a statement that incorporating the information into existing school curricula “will dispel the stigma and mystique of the technology, not only helping students become more critical and intentional users and consumers of AI, but also better positioning future generations of workers to succeed in an AI-driven workforce and hopefully inspiring the next generation of computer scientists.”

The planned AI Academy in Connecticut is expected to award certificates to people who complete certain skills programs that may be necessary for their careers. But Maroney said the academy will also cover basic skills, from digital literacy to asking questions of a chatbot.

He said it is important that people have the skills to understand, evaluate and interact effectively with AI technologies, whether it is a chatbot or machines that learn to identify problems and make decisions that mimic human decision-making.

“Most jobs require some form of literacy,” Maroney said. “I think if you don’t learn how to use it, you’re at a disadvantage.”

A September 2023 study by job search company Indeed found that all U.S. job postings on the platform included skills that could be performed or enhanced by generative AI. Nearly 20% of the job postings were considered “highly exposed,” meaning the technology was considered good or excellent at 80% or more of the skills listed in the Indeed job postings.

Nearly 46% of the jobs on the platform were “moderately exposed,” meaning the GenAI can perform 50% to 80% of the skills.

Maroney said he is concerned about how this skills shortage, combined with the lack of access to high-speed internet, computers and smartphones in some underserved communities, will worsen the problem of inequality.

A report published in February from McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, predicted that generative AI could increase U.S. household wealth by nearly $500 billion by 2045, but also widen the wealth gap between black and white households by $43 billion per year.

Advocates have been working for years to narrow the digital skills gap in the country, often focusing on the basics of computer literacy and improving access to reliable internet and devices, especially for people living in urban and rural areas. The advent of AI brings additional challenges to that task, says Marvin Venay, chief external affairs and advocacy officer for the Massachusetts-based organization Bring Tech Home.

“Education has to be incorporated to really make this happen publicly … in a way that gives people the ability to eliminate their barriers,” he said of AI. “And it has to be able to explain to the most average person why this is not just a useful tool, but why this tool is something that can be trusted.”

Tesha Tramontano-Kelly, executive director of the Connecticut-based group CfAL for Digital Inclusion, said she worries that lawmakers are “putting the cart before the horse” when it comes to talking about AI training. Ninety percent of the youth and adults who take her organization’s free digital literacy classes do not have a computer at home.

Although Connecticut is considered technologically advanced compared to many other states and almost every household can get internet service, a recent study shows state study digital equality found that only about three-quarters have a broadband subscription. A survey conducted as part of the study found that 47% of respondents find it somewhat or very difficult to afford internet service.

Of residents who reported a household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, 32% do not own a computer and 13% do not own a device with internet access.

According to Tramontano-Kelly, making the internet accessible and technological equipment affordable are important first steps.

“So teaching people about AI is super important. I agree 100%,” she said. “But the conversation should also be about everything related to AI.”