In April 2024, Workforce Matters initiated a series of discussions on the Impact of AI on Work and Workforce Development at our Further Together conference. Since that time, our members have continued to express interest in learning more about the impact of AI on the field of workforce development. In response to this ongoing interest, we hosted a webinar on November 20, 2024, titled “The Impact of AI on Workers and Economic Opportunity” in partnership with Christine Nanan (Strategy Principal Director at Accenture), Alex Swartsel (Managing Director of Insights, Center for Artificial Intelligence & the Future at Jobs for the Future), and Matt Zieger (Sr. Program Officer and Head of Grantmaking Strategy & Team and lead for the AI for Economic Opportunity Funder Roundtable at the GitLab Foundation).
Our panelists discussed a range of topics with a specific focus on the potential of AI to transform the world of work, skills requirements, workforce development training and the role of workers overall. The speakers also highlighted the importance of responsible experimentation, user-centric design, and equitable access to AI tools.
AI’s Impact on Jobs and Skills
During the webinar, the speakers discussed the impact of AI on jobs and skills, highlighting that AI is transforming hiring practices, particularly for middle and lower skilled positions. The speakers also noted that AI tools are augmenting human skills and capabilities, increasing the demand for people to do certain work (e.g. identifying ways to leverage generative AI to enhance worker tasks and responsibilities rather than replacing workers). The panelists also shared that early research is showing that the benefits of AI are more evident for early career workers which raises questions about how work-based learning and professional development will evolve.
AI Transformation and Responsible Experimentation
The discussion also focused on the potential of AI to transform various industries and the importance of responsible experimentation. The speakers emphasized the need for organizations to pivot and adapt to the rapid advancements in AI technology and described how AI could help to extend the capacity of workforce organizations (e.g., by making eligibility assessments more efficient). They also highlighted the importance of user-centric design and the need to ensure equitable access to AI tools. Attendees were encouraged to experiment, test, and learn from their experiences, and to prioritize education and transparency when implementing AI in their organizations. They also suggested that organizations should listen to their constituents and involve them in the design and development of AI tools (e.g. support staff or grantees to test and pilot new tools and share their learnings with each other).
At the end of the webinar, we were reminded that this technology isn’t new. Large language models and artificial intelligence have been around for quite some time, however its impact on our world and our work is evolving and we must evolve with it. We have a responsibility to learn about these tools, to experiment responsibly and to partner with workforce leaders to ensure that workers aren’t left behind because of these tools.
Workforce Matters is committed to engaging in ongoing dialogues with our members and leading experts in this work. As we prepare for 2025, we are excited about the opportunities to continue to learn more about generative AI and its benefit to workers, ethics and regulations related to AI, and tools that enhance our systems and support workers.
