Hirono, Blunt Rochester, Schiff Introduce Bill to Protect and Prepare Workers as AI’s Economic Impact Grows

WASHINGTON, D.C.– U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) introduced theWorkforce of the Future Act. As artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly deploying across many industries, this bill requires a detailed study to grow our understanding of AI, its impact on the economy and workforce, and determine the skills necessary for workers to succeed.
“As advanced and emerging technologies—including AI—become rapidly integrated within society, it is imperative that we prepare our workforce for these changes,”said Senator Hirono.“Specifically, we must ensure advances enabled by AI are used to strengthen, not weaken, the workforce. I am proud to introduce theWorkforce of the Future Actto better prepare and equip workers with the skills necessary to adapt to AI and a rapidly-changing work environment.”
Without proper guardrails, the impact AI could have on our economy is wide-ranging. According to studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), AI could replace nearly12 percent of the workforce. Currently, many recent college grads report beingunable to find work.This legislation addresses the most pressing concerns behind AI’s rapid advancement in our workforce while also providing resources to prepare individuals to succeed in advanced technology sectors.
TheWorkforce of the Future Actwill:
TheWorkforce of the Future Actis endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Anthropic, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Microsoft, the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), OpenAI, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the Tech Council of Delaware.
The full text of the legislation is availablehere.
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