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P. 20
C. TODAY
AI and the Future
of Work: Preparing the Workforce
for an AI-Driven Economy
By Brent Orrell,
U.S. Chamber Commission on AI Competitiveness,
Inclusion, and Innovation
AI is best positioned to augment the workforce, not replace it. The U.S.
Chamber's Commission on Artificial Intelligence Competition, Inclusion, and
Innovation report outlines recommendations for preparing the workforce for the
continued integration of AI tools across our economy.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the will see at least 50 percent of their tasks
“end of work” have been greatly exaggerated altered. Another study by Goldman Sachs
– more than once. Throughout history, the largely echoed these findings estimating
arrival of new technology has been regarded as that 18 percent of jobs globally could
a threat to human work and, in every instance, be computerized with “knowledge” and
new technology has been integral to unlocking “information” tasks especially exposed.
new work, new value, and rising incomes.
During one of the AI Commission’s field
This hopeful view is not the same thing, hearings, Cheryl Oldham, vice president
however, as saying that new technology, like of education policy at the U.S. Chamber,
artificial intelligence, will be all upside for every emphasized that if we’re going to minimize
worker, all the time, everywhere. The recent any labor market disruptions and build
report from the U.S. Chamber’s Commission new and effective pathways that lead to AI-
on Artificial Intelligence Competition, Inclusion, related jobs, “we need to proactively lean
and Innovation acknowledges that the effects into workforce development.”
of AI on employment will be both uneven and
hard to predict. The report emphasizes that, at To do so, the report recommends:
its core, AI tools are informing and expanding,
not replacing, human labor and, “if developed • Training and Reskilling: The creation of
and deployed ethically, [AI] has the ability to
augment human capabilities and empower new programs that can help ease worker
people to do much more.” transitions find and improve incentives
for businesses to invest in retraining as
How Workers and Businesses Can Prepare for necessary.
the AI Economy of the Future
• Educating the Future Workforce:
By its nature, technological innovation requires
businesses and workers to learn and adapt— Urging students and workers to prepare
and learning and adaptation can be hard. early and to continuously upgrade their
Sometimes, it means upskilling within an knowledge, skills, and abilities.
existing job and at other times finding a whole
new job in a different sector. • Economic Policies: Encouraging Congress
This learning and adaptation process is likely to adopt tax policies that support “human
to be particularly demanding when it comes to labor augmentation” within firms rather
AI. A recent University of Pennsylvania study than ones that incentivize the substitution
found that 80 percent of American jobs are of technology for human labor and skill.
likely to see at least 10 percent of their tasks
altered by AI while almost 20 percent of jobs AI is neither the end of work nor a future
delivered on a golden platter. Rather, it is a
new tool that, just like new tools of the past,
will take time, effort, and practice to master.
17 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
AI and the Future
of Work: Preparing the Workforce
for an AI-Driven Economy
By Brent Orrell,
U.S. Chamber Commission on AI Competitiveness,
Inclusion, and Innovation
AI is best positioned to augment the workforce, not replace it. The U.S.
Chamber's Commission on Artificial Intelligence Competition, Inclusion, and
Innovation report outlines recommendations for preparing the workforce for the
continued integration of AI tools across our economy.
To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the will see at least 50 percent of their tasks
“end of work” have been greatly exaggerated altered. Another study by Goldman Sachs
– more than once. Throughout history, the largely echoed these findings estimating
arrival of new technology has been regarded as that 18 percent of jobs globally could
a threat to human work and, in every instance, be computerized with “knowledge” and
new technology has been integral to unlocking “information” tasks especially exposed.
new work, new value, and rising incomes.
During one of the AI Commission’s field
This hopeful view is not the same thing, hearings, Cheryl Oldham, vice president
however, as saying that new technology, like of education policy at the U.S. Chamber,
artificial intelligence, will be all upside for every emphasized that if we’re going to minimize
worker, all the time, everywhere. The recent any labor market disruptions and build
report from the U.S. Chamber’s Commission new and effective pathways that lead to AI-
on Artificial Intelligence Competition, Inclusion, related jobs, “we need to proactively lean
and Innovation acknowledges that the effects into workforce development.”
of AI on employment will be both uneven and
hard to predict. The report emphasizes that, at To do so, the report recommends:
its core, AI tools are informing and expanding,
not replacing, human labor and, “if developed • Training and Reskilling: The creation of
and deployed ethically, [AI] has the ability to
augment human capabilities and empower new programs that can help ease worker
people to do much more.” transitions find and improve incentives
for businesses to invest in retraining as
How Workers and Businesses Can Prepare for necessary.
the AI Economy of the Future
• Educating the Future Workforce:
By its nature, technological innovation requires
businesses and workers to learn and adapt— Urging students and workers to prepare
and learning and adaptation can be hard. early and to continuously upgrade their
Sometimes, it means upskilling within an knowledge, skills, and abilities.
existing job and at other times finding a whole
new job in a different sector. • Economic Policies: Encouraging Congress
This learning and adaptation process is likely to adopt tax policies that support “human
to be particularly demanding when it comes to labor augmentation” within firms rather
AI. A recent University of Pennsylvania study than ones that incentivize the substitution
found that 80 percent of American jobs are of technology for human labor and skill.
likely to see at least 10 percent of their tasks
altered by AI while almost 20 percent of jobs AI is neither the end of work nor a future
delivered on a golden platter. Rather, it is a
new tool that, just like new tools of the past,
will take time, effort, and practice to master.
17 AMCHAM SOUTH CHINA
