Will AI Help or Harm Workers?

Now is the time for AI regulation. Problems viewing this email? [View it in your browser]( [Center for American Progress]( InProgress from the Center for American Progress Will AI Help or Harm Workers? This past Monday was Labor Day, a national holiday to celebrate the importance and contributions of workers across the country. Workers run the U.S. economy, but there is a new competitor on the horizon. Recent breakthroughs in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI products such as ChatGPT, have resurfaced [headlines]( of robots taking jobs. This concept of robots taking jobs isn’t new, but unlike other moments marked by this tension, AI can now affect all levels of employment across the labor market. The scale of disruption is simply unknown. Not only should developers and users of AI consider the impact this has on workers, but the government needs to take action too. The potential impacts of AI on today’s labor market could be different than in the past. On the one hand, the adoption of AI could: - Create new jobs. - Complement existing work. - Raise worker productivity. - Lift wages. - Boost economic growth. - Increase living standards. On the other hand, AI could: - [Displace workers](. - Erode job quality. - Increase unemployment. - Exacerbate inequities. Whether and how AI benefits or harms workers is not a foregone conclusion; it is up to the Biden administration and Congress to guide the users and adopters of AI in the right direction. Alongside this, the Biden administration is in the process of developing its [National AI Strategy]( as the Center for American Progress has called for [multiple]( [times]( must contain a plan to address economic and job impacts from the use of AI. Congress and the Biden administration must center the needs of workers as they respond to the development and adoption of AI tools and systems. Specifically, they should be designing policy solutions that seek to maximize the benefit to workers from technological change, including steering the generation of AI to augment rather than automate workers; preparing workers to adjust to AI adoption; and meeting the needs of displaced workers, including by strengthening the unemployment insurance system and adopting a jobs guarantee. [Keep Reading]( Tell White House To Take Real Action on Artificial Intelligence Now The White House must use the full extent of its executive power to take real action on AI. In order to protect the U.S. economy, tell President Joe Biden that change is happening too fast to wait: [Take Action]( Share Your support for AI Accountability [AI Systems must be held accountable.]( [Share Now]( Progress in Action: Updating Michigan’s Soo Locks [Ship passing through Soo Locks in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan]( Michigan’s Soo Locks are long overdue for an upgrade. The Sault Ste. Marie locks have not been updated in 60 years, and improvements are desperately needed to ensure safety and economic efficiency. Thanks to funding from the Biden administration’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, [a project to fix the Soo Locks will receive more than $650 million in funding](. The Soo Locks connect Lake Superior to the Lower Great Lakes and are a critical part of the Midwest's economy, as well as a lifeline for the nation's manufacturing sector. However, the locks have been [operating with outdated and aging infrastructure](. Lock upgrades will have a wide range of benefits for the nation: - Economic impact: The development of a New Soo Lock is projected to create thousands of jobs in construction, manufacturing, and other related industries. Kokosing Alberici Traylor is [hiring skilled union construction workers and administrative staff for the project](. - National security: A reliable and efficient maritime transportation system is critical to the nation’s safety. The Soo Locks are vital in ensuring the timely delivery of essential goods for defense and emergency response. By investing in their development, the Biden administration is enhancing the nation's preparedness. - Environmental benefits: The new lock will allow for [greater resilience to weather extremes]( helping prevent flooding that has happened in previous years. This project not only addresses the urgent need to modernize aging infrastructure but also promotes economic growth, job creation, national security, and environmental sustainability. [Read more about the Soo Lock project]( [Banner reading "Biden Administration Investment Tracker"]( Bidenomics Is Working for Women [Bidenomics is working for women]( The Biden administration [is taking steps to build women’s economic stability]( by pursuing an industrial strategy that invests in workers and prioritizes gender equity. And it’s working: The unemployment rate for women ages 20 and above was 3.2 percent in August. With the help of the Biden administration’s investments in workers and a strong economic recovery, women are driving the U.S. labor market recovery. [Watch the Video]( ICYMI: Last of the Lions: An African American Journey in Memoir, a Conversation With Clarence B. Jones [Clarence B. Jones speaking at an event at CAP.]( On September 6, Clarence B. Jones, who was the speechwriter and lawyer for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., joined CAP President and CEO Patrick Gaspard for a conversation about his life and new book, Last of the Lions: An African American Journey in Memoir. In a conversation about a life spanning more than nine decades, Jones recounted behind-the-scenes memories from pivotal moments in the civil rights movement, as well as how lessons he learned then still apply today. [Watch the Event]( Follow us on [Follow us on Twitter]( [Follow us on Facebook]( [Follow us on YouTube]( [Follow us on Instagram]( [Support CAP]( [Manage Email Preferences or Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( [Center for American Progress]( Center for American Progress 1333 H Street NW Washington, D.C. 20005 [supporter]