On February 3, the House Education and Workforce Committee held a hearing titled “Building an AI-ready America: Adopting AI at Work.” The witnesses included: 

• Mr. Bradford Kelley, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson, P.C. 

• Ms. Revana Sharfuddin, Research Fellow, Mercatus Center at George Mason University  

• Ms. Tanya Goldman, Fellow, Workshop  

• Mr. David Walton, Partner, Founder and Co-chair of AI, Data and Analytics Group, Fisher Phillips 

Throughout the hearing, lawmakers and witnesses discussed several issues related to how workers and employers use AI in their day-to-day work. Democratic lawmakers emphasized protecting workers from job displacement and potential misuses of AI by employers while Republicans focused on utilizing AI to strengthen the economy, create new jobs and make work easier for workers and employers. 

There was also discussion on the importance of data in understanding the impact of AI. Revana Sharfuddin of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University stated that “by investing in better data now, Congress can ensure that debates over training, labor standards and social insurance are grounded in evidence—and that AI adoption at work proceeds in a way that is both innovative and worker centered.” Sharfuddin also recommended that the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau launch AI-related data collections that are linked to worker outcomes.  

Several lawmakers touched on the impact of AI on education as well. Rep. John Mannion (D-NY) briefly discussed the Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act, a bipartisan bill—endorsed by ACTE and partners—that would expand the use of virtual reality, augmented reality and simulation-based training tools in CTE and workforce development programs across the nation. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) mentioned her current work developing a framework that addresses AI education and workforce readiness. Responding to a question on AI in job training from Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), David Walton with Fisher Phillips indicated that AI could assist with upskilling and reskilling workers across career pathways. 

A recap and recording of the hearing can be found here.