Over 40 leading economists urge the Secretary of Labor to gather better data on AI’s jobs impact
On Tuesday, a group of over 40 leading economists and economic policy experts sent a letter to Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer urging the Department of Labor (DOL) to gather more high-quality data on AI’s jobs impact. The letter, signed by four Nobel laureates and two former chairs of the Federal Reserve, comes on the heels of new research suggesting AI is already reducing job opportunities for early-career workers in areas most exposed to AI. The letter notes that better data collection is critical not only to understanding AI’s impact but also to respond and train U.S. workers for new jobs in an AI-integrated economy.
“AI is expected to have a historically significant impact on our workforce, reshaping the U.S. economy for generations,” said ARI Senior Policy Director John Soroushian. “If the government is going to smooth the transition into an AI-integrated economy, we need to know more about how this new technology is reshaping jobs. This is why investing in more high-quality, timely, and granular data to monitor AI’s economic impact is key.”
On Thursday, September 11, ARI will host a virtual panel featuring economists Erik Brynjolfsson and Bharat Chandar exploring AI’s emerging impact on the workforce, including a concerning decline in job opportunities for certain early-career workers. Register here for the virtual panel.
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Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at ARI.us.