Senators call on agencies to capture AI's workforce impact

"Over the last several years, the enhanced capabilities of artificial intelligence have resulted in its increased application and adoption across many and varied industries and occupations. However, reporting from across the private sector, academia, and media depict an uncertain picture of artificial intelligence's current and potential impact on the workforce, with some use cases demonstrating a high probability of job disruption and others making the case for employment growth."

"Lawmakers offered multiple suggestions for current national surveys helmed by these agencies to incorporate questions on AI in the workforce. These include the Current Population Survey, the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and the National Longitudinal Survey. Each of these surveys captures different segments of the U.S. workforce population, with the National Longitudinal Survey focusing on American youth."

Nine bipartisan senators are urging the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Census Bureau to enhance their data collection and reporting mechanisms to better understand artificial intelligence's effects on the workforce. The senators cite uncertainty about AI's labor market impacts, noting conflicting reports about job disruption versus employment growth across industries. They propose incorporating AI-related questions into existing national surveys including the Current Population Survey, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, and National Longitudinal Survey. These surveys collectively capture different workforce segments, including American youth. The senators emphasize that reliable data is essential as the U.S. workforce faces potential disruption from accelerating AI adoption.

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