With many jobs predicted to someday rely on generative artificial intelligence, states are attempting to assist workers improve their tech skills before they become obsolete and outwitted by machines that are getting increasingly intelligent.
In an effort to establish what proponents hope would be the nation’s first Citizens AI Academy, Connecticut is now developing a free online course catalog with carefully chosen courses that individuals can enroll in to acquire fundamental skills or earn a credential required for employment.
State Democratic Sen. James Maroney stated that this is an issue that is fast changing. Therefore, it is up to us all to find out which sources are most reliable for staying up to date. How can we keep our abilities up to date? Which people are reliable sources for?
State legislators may find it difficult to identify the skills required in an AI environment due to the rapidly evolving nature of the technology and divergent views on the most effective methodology.
In part because computers will soon be better equipped to perform certain tasks previously performed by humans, Gregory LaBlanc, professor of Finance, Strategy, and Law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, believes that workers should be taught how to use and manage generative AI rather than how the technology works.
Instead of learning to be extremely poor imitations of AI, he argued, we should focus on things that enhance it. After determining what AI is not excellent at, we must teach those things. And those tend to be traits like imagination, compassion, and sophisticated problem solving.
State legislators may find it difficult to identify the skills required in an AI environment due to the rapidly evolving nature of the technology and divergent views on the most effective methodology.
In part because computers will soon be better equipped to perform certain tasks previously performed by humans, Gregory LaBlanc, professor of Finance, Strategy, and Law at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley Law School in California, believes that workers should be taught how to use and manage generative AI rather than how the technology works.
Instead of learning to be extremely poor imitations of AI, he argued, we should focus on things that enhance it. After determining what AI is not excellent at, we must teach those things. And those tend to be traits like imagination, compassion, and sophisticated problem solving.
He claimed that in the past, success with technological innovations has not required people to comprehend them.
According to LeBlanc, we didn’t tell everyone that they needed to become electrical engineers when electricity first appeared.
At least four states—Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Maryland—filed bills this year that made some sort of attempt to address AI in the classroom. They ranged from suggested working groups that look into how AI may be securely implemented in public schools to Connecticut’s planned AI Academy, which was originally part of a comprehensive AI regulation bill that failed but the concept is currently being developed by state education officials. While the others are still in the works, one such bill was killed in the Mississippi legislature.
Under one California law, curriculums in math, physics, history, and social science would have to take AI literacy into consideration, according to a state working group.
Assemblyman Marc Berman, the bill’s author, stated in a statement that artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to improve human lives, but only if we know how to utilize it and use it safely. All students need to be taught the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI), how to spot its applications, its limitations, and its ethical implications. This is true regardless of the career paths they choose.
The California Chamber of Commerce supports the bill. In a statement, CalChamber Policy Advocate Ronak Daylami said that integrating knowledge into current curricula will help students become more astute and deliberate users and consumers of artificial intelligence (AI). This will not only better position the next generation of workers to succeed in an AI-driven workforce, but it will also hopefully inspire the next generation of computer scientists.
The proposed AI Academy in Connecticut is anticipated to provide credentials to individuals who finish certain skill-building courses that may be required for employment, but Maroney stated the academy will also cover fundamentals like digital literacy and how to ask a chatbot questions.
Whether it’s a chatbot or robots that can recognize issues and make decisions that resemble those of a human, he said it’s critical that individuals possess the knowledge and abilities to comprehend, assess, and work with AI technologies.
According to Maroney, most vocations will demand some level of reading. “You will be at a disadvantage, in my opinion, if you are not learning how to use it.”
All of the American jobs posted on Indeed had abilities that might be completed or enhanced by generative AI, according to a September 2023 study published by the job-search website. The technology is regarded as outstanding or excellent at 80% or more of the talents that were listed in the Indeed job listings, which translates to nearly 20% of the occupations being classified as “highly exposed.”
The GenAI can execute 50% to 80% of the abilities in about 46% of the occupations on the marketplace that were classified as “moderately exposed.”
In some underprivileged areas, there is a lack of access to computers, smartphones, and high-speed internet. Maroney expressed concern that this skills gap will make the issue of inequality worse.
According to a report published in February by the international management consulting company McKinsey and Company, generative AI might boost household wealth in the United States by about $500 billion by 2045, but it would also result in an annual increase in the wealth gap between Black and White households by $43 billion.
The nation’s digital skills gap has been the subject of years of advocacy, with a particular emphasis on boosting access to dependable internet and devices and teaching computer literacy fundamentals, particularly to those residing in rural and urban regions. Bring Tech Home, an organization based in Massachusetts, has Marvin Venay, its chief external relations and advocacy officer, explaining that the introduction of AI presents new hurdles to that work.
He stated that for AI to truly take off in the public eye, education must be incorporated in a way that will enable individuals to overcome their obstacles. Additionally, it must be able to articulate to the average person why this technology is reliable in addition to being helpful.
Executive director of the Connecticut-based organization CfAL for Digital Inclusion Tesha Tramontano-Kelly expressed concern that when it comes to discussing AI training, policymakers are “putting the cart before the horse.” Her organization offers free digital literacy lessons to adolescents and adults, 90% of whom don’t have a computer at home.
Despite the fact that Connecticut is thought to be technologically more advanced than many other states and that almost every household can access the internet, only roughly three-quarters of households in the state subscribe to broadband, according to a recent digital equity study. According to a poll done as part of the study, 47% of participants said it is somewhat or extremely difficult to afford internet access.
Thirty-two percent of inhabitants with household incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line do not own a computer, and thirteen percent do not own any internet-enabled device.
According to Tramontano-Kelly, making sure the internet is available and that technology equipment is reasonably priced are crucial initial steps.
Thirty-two percent of inhabitants with household incomes at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line do not own a computer, and thirteen percent do not own any internet-enabled gadget.
According to Tramontano-Kelly, making sure the internet is available and that technology equipment is reasonably priced are crucial initial steps.
Thus, educating people about AI is crucial. She stated that she agreed with this 100%. However, the discussion must also cover everything else related to AI.
