Rep. Laurel Lee
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The State of Play
There’s no doubt artificial intelligence has and will continue to alter the workforce. What’s still unclear is how much of that change will be a disruption or an enhancement of modern employment.
While businesses experiment with integrating AI into their operations, policymakers are continuing to assess how the evolving technology can drive productivity and economic growth. AI has significant potential to free up time for workers to focus on other tasks.
Studies estimate that anywhere from 5% to 25% of work tasks may be automated over the next decade. Goldman Sachs economists predict this could boost labor productivity in the United States by as much as 15% and lift the country’s GDP by as much as 6%.
Employees are already rapidly embracing AI, with three-quarters of them using the technology for their work in 2024, according to a joint Microsoft and LinkedIn report. Workers said they used the tech to save time and focus on their most important tasks.
Gray areas: So far, businesses don’t have clear legal guidelines on how to incorporate AI into their workforce, making them hesitant to go all-in on the technology. It’s a challenge that Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) highlighted in a recent bipartisan AI task force report.
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Training Florida’s workforce in AI at Miami Dade College
Across the country, Google is working with community colleges to equip faculty and students with AI skills for in-demand fields. In Florida, Google has partnered with Miami Dade College to offer Google Career Certificates and Google AI Essentials courses as part of their AI offerings. Google has also made AI Essentials available to all members of MDC’s National Applied AI Consortium, which helps community colleges train the AI workforce.
Workforce restructuring will also come with costs. Although AI helps increase output and makes operations more efficient, there are concerns that the benefits of the technology wouldn’t be felt equally. There’s also a continuing fear that it will lead to a displacement of workers who are replaced with machine learning technology.
In the meantime, some state leaders across the country want to better understand how AI will affect workers. For instance, Florida lawmakers in March introduced a bill that would direct the state to examine any patterns in AI-related job displacements and to also look at what groups of workers were most likely to be impacted. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul earlier this year proposed changes to the state’s employment notification system that would require employers to report when they lay off staff due to AI-related changes.
Preparing for the future: A world that heavily uses AI will require changes to the way educational institutions prepare students for jobs.
Lawmakers, such as Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), argue that if the U.S. is going to become a global leader in AI, education institutions will need to be more “agile” and basic literacy in STEM and technical skills will need to be a priority. While businesses expect AI to create new jobs, its increased proliferation will necessitate more technical roles.
– Joy Mazur
The Spotlight Interview: Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.)
Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.) is a member of the House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence, created in 2024 to explore how Congress can ensure the U.S. leads the world on AI innovation while safeguarding against emerging threats. Lee also sits on panels that are hotspots for AI legislation: the House Judiciary and Energy and Commerce Committees.
We spoke with Lee to learn more about how lawmakers are approaching AI and how it impacts the workforce.
When Lee came to Congress in 2023, she brought an interest in working on tech policy and ensuring Congress collaborates with the private sector to ensure the U.S. is leading the way on innovation and preparedness.
Lee says AI technology is evolving “so very rapidly” that educational institutions have to be “agile” in preparing students for the future workforce.
Lee has hosted a roundtable in her district with local educational institutions and tech companies to discuss how both sectors can work together to create a pipeline of young people prepared for jobs that are integrated with AI.
“One of the workforce challenges is that the technology is evolving so rapidly that our universities are having to stay out in front of that to be sure that they’re teaching students and providing educational opportunities that reflect the latest iteration of AI and the types of skills that students are going to need.”
“Our private sector partners have been a really critical partner in my area for ensuring that the educational programs are really bringing students the real-life applications and the latest information and technology that they need to know.”
“I am a big believer that artificial intelligence is going to enhance the American workforce and be a tool for the American worker to help us perform jobs with greater efficiency and speed.”
“The applications are incredibly broad — everything from manufacturing to research, to the aggregation and analysis of vast volumes of data. So I think what is really critical for employers and for American workers is to ensure that they are thinking about the ways that they can integrate artificial intelligence into their workflows, into their production.”
“I don’t see artificial intelligence as something that is going to replace the American worker. It should be something that enables and equips the American worker to do more and to be more productive.”
“One of the first things that I heard, you know, a couple of years ago, when I [had] started working, particularly on artificial intelligence in Congress, was a tech leader who said, ‘AI is not going to replace the American worker, but workers who know how to utilize AI will ultimately replace those who don’t.’ And so I think that was a really prescient way of thinking … we all can enhance what we’re doing if we know how to use these tools and technology that are available to us.”
“I think just for everyday Americans, even those who it doesn’t particularly affect their profession or their day-to-day work, it has incredible applications on the personal side too. I think it’s something that will become ubiquitous as Americans become more familiar with how to use it.”
“I do think Congress plays an important role in talking about things like workforce and being sure that we are prioritizing the workforce and education programs to emphasize STEM, think about the workforce that we need for tomorrow, support the development of that kind of curriculum in our communities.”
“There are a lot of things that we need to continue to study and look at as leaders in Congress while also ensuring that we’re not stifling innovation. We want the United States to continue to lead, and so we need to encourage that type of development and growth, as opposed to stifling it.”
— Samantha Handler
The Outlook
A common refrain among federal and state policymakers is that it’s important to balance AI innovation and regulation.
Lawmakers in Congress have been on a quest to better understand the technology to draft legislative frameworks that boost its growth while tamping down the worst effects of its increased use.
I am a big believer that artificial intelligence is going to enhance the American workforce and be a tool for the American worker to help us perform jobs with greater efficiency and speed.
Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.)
A double-edged sword: While the rise of AI seems promising for businesses, policymakers continue to worry about its perils as more businesses embrace the technology.
“In terms of productivity, AI probably could be a double-edged sword,” said David Arnold, professor and Florida Semiconductor Institute director at the University of Florida.
Analysis by (un)Common Logic found the top states that would most likely be impacted by AI-driven job displacements were South Dakota, Kansas, Florida, Delaware and New York.
As mentioned earlier in this segment, policymakers in Florida and New York are seeking ways to better understand the impact of AI on their workforce.
Florida recently presented a new bill requiring the state to study how automation, artificial intelligence and robotics are affecting jobs across the state.
Other states like Colorado and Illinois have passed laws to ensure AI is used ethically in employment practices.
On the Hill: Lawmakers are continually examining AI and how it will impact business and people’s lives as they consider the best way to regulate the ever-evolving technology. For instance, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) introduced the Workforce for AI Trust Act in July 2024. The bill aims to facilitate a workforce of trained experts to build trustworthy AI systems.
The measure passed in committee but never received a floor vote.
Congress is also simultaneously working on several other AI-focused bills, including the Consumer Safety Technology Act, which would allow federal agencies to study evolving technologies and their safety, and the AI Accountability Act, which requires companies to be transparent about the algorithms they use. Both of these could impact the way companies integrate AI into their workforce.
However, Congress has so far not been successful in pushing such measures across the finish line.
Federal action: The Department of Labor previously released comprehensive guidance on artificial intelligence best practices to enhance job quality by providing developers and employers with some directions on how to implement AI systems in the workplace.
The U.S. Small Business Administration is also encouraging the use of AI tools and applications as they help businesses safeguard their data, improve customer service and create business content.
The Trump administration is also leaning into AI innovation. Just shortly after the president returned to office in January, the White House announced the development of an AI Action Plan that encouraged the tech industry to share its policy ideas by submitting comments to the administration until March 15.
AI associations, organizations and companies we spoke with shared optimism for AI advancement in the workforce under a Trump administration.
“We need to make sure that we are building the workforce of tomorrow that is able to work with AI but also other emerging technologies,” said Paul Lekas, head of global public policy for the Software Information Industry Association.
Evolving landscape: Overall, though, the policy outlook for AI in the workforce is still unclear. Policymakers still have a lot to learn about AI.
It’s a classic case of regulation chasing innovation. AI tools are advancing rapidly and becoming more widely adopted. And yet, Congress, the federal government, as well as local policymakers, remain steps behind in creating a clear regulatory framework and drawing a clear understanding of how it will continue to impact workers in the long run.
Still, lawmakers and AI experts remain optimistic that AI will provide a net benefit to the workforce and industry despite the disruptions that it, like any technological advancements, could bring.
— Lillian Juarez
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Helping Florida’s small businesses thrive with digital skills trainings
Google has called Florida home for more than a decade and is invested in boosting the state’s economy. Grow with Google helps train Floridians on digital skills, and the program has also provided coaching to thousands of small businesses through Grow with Google Digital Coaches. These local experts host free workshops on topics like how to leverage AI, connect with customers, sell online, and improve business productivity.
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