HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — With many jobs expected to eventually depend on generative artificial intelligence, states are trying to help workers strengthen their tech skills before they become outdated and outsmarted by increasingly smart machines.
Connecticut is working to create what supporters believe would be the first of its kind in the nation: a “Citizen AI Academy” that would offer free online, curated classes that users can take to learn basic skills or earn job-ready certifications.
“This is a rapidly evolving field,” said state Democratic Sen. James Maloney, “so we all need to learn what the best sources are to stay up to date. How do we update our skills? Who are our trusted sources?”
Given the rapid advances in technology and differing opinions on the best approach, determining what skills are needed in an AI world can be a challenge for state lawmakers.
Gregory LaBlanc, a professor of finance, strategy and law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, said that because computers will soon be better able to perform certain tasks previously performed by humans, workers should be taught how to use and manage generative AI, not how the technology works.
“What we need to do is not learn to be terrible imitators of AI, but lean into things that complement AI,” he said. “We need to understand what AI isn't good at and teach it that. And those things are generally things like creativity, empathy, advanced problem solving.”
He said that historically, people haven't needed to understand technological advances to be successful.
“When electricity came along, we didn't say everyone needed to be an electrician,” LeBlanc said.
At least four states this year (Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Maryland) have proposed bills that would address AI in the classroom in some way. These range from Connecticut's planned AI Academy, which was originally included in a broader AI regulation bill but was defeated and is still being conceptualized by state education officials, to a proposed working group that would explore how to safely incorporate AI in public schools. One such bill died in the Mississippi Legislature, but 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 science curricula.
“AI has the potential to positively impact our lives, but only if we know how to use it and use it responsibly,” Rep. Marc Berman, the bill's author, said in a statement. “Whatever their future careers, we must ensure that all students understand the fundamental principles and applications of AI, have the skills to recognize when AI is being used, and are aware of AI's impacts, limitations, and ethical considerations.”
The bill is supported by the California Chamber of Commerce, whose policy advocate Ronak Daylami said in a statement that incorporating information into existing school curricula “will not only de-stigmatize the technology and help students become more discerning and intentional users and consumers of AI, but will also better position future generations of workers to succeed in an AI-driven workforce and inspire the next generation of computer scientists.”
Connecticut's planned AI academy is expected to offer certificates to people who complete specific skills programs that might be needed for careers, but Maloney said the academy will also cover basics from digital literacy to how to ask questions to chatbots.
He said it's important that people have the skills to understand, evaluate and effectively interact with AI technology, whether it's a chatbot or a machine that learns to identify problems and make decisions that mimic human decision-making.
“Most jobs are going to require some form of literacy,” Maloney says, “and if you don't learn how to use it, I think you're at a disadvantage.”
A study published in September by job search company Indeed found that every U.S. job listed on its platform has skills that could be fulfilled or augmented by generative AI. About 20% of jobs were deemed “highly exposed,” meaning the technology is considered good or superior for more than 80% of the skills listed on Indeed job listings.
About 46% of the jobs on the platform are “medium exposure,” meaning GenAI can perform between 50% and 80% of the skills.
Maloney said he fears these skills gaps, combined with lack of access to high-speed internet, computers and smartphones in some disadvantaged areas, will exacerbate the problem of inequality.
A report released in February by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company estimated that generative AI could increase U.S. household assets by nearly $500 billion by 2045, but it also predicted that the wealth gap between black and white households would widen by $43 billion per year.
Advocates have been working for years to close the country's digital skills gap, focusing on basic computer literacy and improving access to reliable internet and devices, especially for people living in cities and rural areas. The emergence of AI brings additional challenges to the task, said Marvin Benét, chief external relations and advocacy officer at the Massachusetts-based group Bring Tech Home.
“For AI to really be mainstream, education has to be built into it in a way that removes barriers for people,” he said of AI, “and we have to be able to explain to the general public not just why AI is a useful tool, but why it can be trusted.”
Tesha Tramontano Kelly, executive director of CfAL, a Connecticut-based digital inclusion group, said she worries lawmakers are getting “the cart before the horse” when they talk about AI training: 90% of the young people and adults who take advantage of CfAL's free digital literacy classes don't have a computer at home.
Connecticut is considered more technologically advanced than many other states, with nearly every household having access to internet service, but a recent state digital equity study found that only about three-quarters subscribe to broadband, and in a survey administered as part of the study, 47% of respondents found it somewhat or very difficult to sign up for internet service.
Among residents who reported a household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, 32% do not own a computer and 13% do not own an internet-enabled device.
Tramontano-Kelly said ensuring the internet is available and technological equipment is affordable is a critical first step.
“So it's really important to educate people about AI, and I agree with that 100 percent,” she said, “but we also need to talk about all the other things that come with AI.”
