On October 9, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing entitled, “AI’s Potential to Support Patients, Workers, Children, and Families.” 

The witnesses for the hearing included: 

• Dr. Russ Altman: Professor of Bioengineering, Genetics, Medicine, Biomedical Data Science and Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered AI  

• John Bailey, Nonresident Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute 

• Harriet Pearson: Managing Principal, Axia Advisory 

• Dr. Juliet Schor: Professor, Boston College  

• Carlos Aramayo: President, UNITE HERE Local 26 

On education and workforce development, the hearing centered on the need for proactive planning and policy to address how AI is already changing the workforce and the potential disruptions to the labor market. For instance, Professor Altman discussed how AI is being used to augment diagnosis, improve scheduling, reduce paperwork and free up time for other work.  

Lawmakers raised that while AI can raise productivity and create new kinds of roles, it can also disrupt existing jobs if the person holding the job is not equipped with the right training. There was a recognition that new policy is needed to ensure that everyone can obtain the skills necessary to stay competitive in the changing job market. 

When the conversation shifted to policy recommendations, the need to invest in research was a key theme. It was also suggested that policymakers should prioritize education and workforce development when thinking about future legislation. AI should be integrated into K-12 education, community college programs and other workforce development initiatives. 

According to John Bailey, the Department of Education (ED) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) can also expand partnerships with postsecondary institutions, nonprofits and developers to conduct rigorous evaluations of AI platforms. This can start with modernizing reskilling and upskilling and supporting programs that are developing AI-related curriculum.  

A recording of the hearing can be found here.