HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – With many jobs expected to eventually rely on generative artificial intelligence, states are scrambling to help workers upgrade their technology skills before they become obsolete and are displaced by increasingly smart machines.
Connecticut is working to create what supporters believe will be the nation’s first Citizens AI Academy, a free online repository of curated classes that users can take to learn basic skills or obtain a certification needed to employment.
“This is a fast-growing area,” said Democratic state Sen. James Maroney. “So we all need to learn what the best resources are to stay current. How can we update our skills? Who can be trusted with sources?”
Determining the skills needed in an AI world can be a challenge for state lawmakers given the fast-moving nature of the technology and differing opinions about which approach is best.
Gregory LaBlanc, professor of finance, strategy and law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, says workers need to be taught how to use and manage generative AI rather than how the technology works, in part because computers will soon be more capable. to perform some tasks previously performed by humans.
“What we need is to rely on things that complement AI as opposed to learning to be really bad AI imitators,” he said. “We need to understand what AI is not good at and then learn those things. And those things are generally things like creativity, empathy, high-level problem solving.”
He said that historically people did not need to understand technological advances in order for them to succeed.
“When electricity came along, we didn’t tell everyone they had to become electrical engineers,” LeBlanc said.
This year, at least four states—Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Maryland—proposed legislation that attempted to deal somewhat with AI in the classroom. They ranged from the planned AI Academy in Connecticut, which was originally included in a sweeping AI regulatory bill that failed but the concept is still being developed by state education officials, to proposed task forces that examine how AI can be safely incorporated into public schools. One such bill died in the Mississippi legislature, while others remain in flux.
A California bill would require a state task force to consider incorporating AI literacy skills into math, science, history and social studies curricula.
“AI has the potential to positively impact the way we live, but only if we know how to use it and use it responsibly,” said the bill’s author, Assemblyman Marc Berman, in a statement. “Regardless of their future profession, we need to ensure that all students understand the basic principles and applications of AI, that they have the skills to recognize when AI is being used and are aware of the implications, limitations and ethical considerations of AI .”
The bill is supported by the California Chamber of Commerce. CalChamber Policy Advocate Ronak Daylami said in a statement that incorporating the information into existing school curricula will “dispel the stigma and mystique of technology, not only by helping students become smarter and more intentional users and consumers of AI, but also better positioning future generations of workers to succeed in an AI-driven workforce and hopefully inspire the next generation of computer scientists.”
While the planned AI Academy in Connecticut is expected to offer certifications to people who complete certain skills programs that may be needed for careers, Maroney said the academy will also cover the basics, from digital literacy to how to ask questions in a chatbot.
He said it’s important that people have the skills to understand, evaluate and interact effectively with AI technologies, whether it’s a chatbot or machines that learn to identify problems and make decisions that mimic human decision-making.
“Most jobs will require some form of literacy,” Maroney said. “I think if you’re not learning how to use it, you’re going to be at a disadvantage.”
A September 2023 study published by job search company Indeed found that all US jobs listed on the platform had skills that could be performed or augmented by generative AI. Nearly 20% of jobs were considered “highly exposed,” meaning that technology is considered good or excellent in 80% or more of the skills that were actually mentioned in the job listings.
Nearly 46% of jobs on the platform were “moderately exposed,” meaning GenAI can perform 50% to 80% of the skills.
Maroney said he is concerned how this skills gap — coupled with a lack of access to high-speed Internet, computers and smartphones in some underserved communities — will exacerbate the problem of inequality.
A report published in February by McKinsey and Company, a global management consulting firm, predicted that generative AI could increase US household wealth by nearly $500 billion by 2045, but it would also widen the wealth gap between black and white households by 43 billion dollars a year.
Advocates have worked for years to narrow the nation’s digital skills gap, often focusing on computer literacy and improving access to the Internet and reliable devices, especially for people living in urban and rural areas. The advent of AI brings additional challenges to this task, said Marvin Venay, chief external affairs and advocacy officer for the Massachusetts-based organization Bring Tech Home.
“Education needs to be included so that this really goes public … in a way that will give people the ability to eliminate their barriers,” he told AI. “And it has to be able to explain to the average individual why it’s not just a useful tool, but why this tool is going to be something that can be trusted.”
Tesha Tramontano-Kelly, executive director of the Connecticut-based group CfAL for Digital Inclusion, said she worries that lawmakers are “putting the cart before the horse” when it comes to talking about AI training. Ninety percent of the youth and adults who use her organization’s free digital education classes don’t have a computer at home.
While Connecticut is considered technologically advanced compared to many other states and almost every household can get Internet service, a recent study of state digital capital found that only about three-quarters have subscribed to broadband. A survey conducted as part of the study found that 47% of respondents find it somewhat or very difficult to afford Internet service.
Of residents who reported household incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, 32% do not own a computer and 13% do not own any Internet-enabled devices.
Tramontano-Kelly said the first important steps are to make sure the Internet is accessible and technology devices are affordable.
“So teaching people about AI is very important. I 100% agree with that,” she said. “But the conversation should also be about everything else that goes along with AI.”