Economist from our organization participates in nationwide AI workforce research, supported by a $1.6 million grant from the Sloan Foundation
A groundbreaking research collaboration, titled "Artificial Intelligence and the American Worker," has been launched to investigate the real-world effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on the U.S. workforce. Led by Carnegie Mellon University's Block Center for Technology and Society and MIT's FutureTech, this initiative brings together researchers from eight prestigious academic institutions and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
The project aims to provide decision-makers with evidence-based insights into the transformative impact of AI on workers and labor markets. With a budget of $1.6 million, supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the collaboration will run for two years.
The research team comprises leading academics from Northeastern University, Case Western Reserve University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Virginia, and the California Policy Lab. Mark Schweitzer, an economics professor from Case Western Reserve University, is among those participating, contributing his expertise in labor markets and regional economics.
The project's primary focus during this period will be on improving labor-market data. Researchers will collaborate with U.S. state unemployment insurance programs to provide detailed insights into unemployment risk by sector and occupation. This enhanced data collection is expected to offer a clearer understanding of where AI is helping workers and where it may leave them behind, with a particular focus on its uneven effects across firms, industries, and geographic regions.
In addition to improving labor-market data, the project aims to produce both academic research and policy-relevant reports. The findings are expected to support research-driven decision-making by employers, labor organizations, and government, contributing to ongoing debates about AI governance, workforce development, and economic policy.
The study will employ computational social science and network science tools to uncover the hidden structures behind AI's impact on labor markets. It will also involve developing platforms like the Observatory for U.S. Job Disruption to analyze job disruption across the U.S.
This collaboration combines diverse disciplines such as economics, social science, and engineering to provide a comprehensive understanding of AI's effects on the workforce. The team's efforts will continue for the next two years, working towards their goal of guiding decision-makers on the real-world effects of artificial intelligence on American workers.
The groundbreaking research collaboration, "Artificial Intelligence and the American Worker," will incorporate artificial-intelligence to uncover the hidden structures behind its impact on labor markets. The project seeks to produce both academic research and policy-relevant reports, utilizing tools like computational social science and network science, and highlighting where AI is assisting or leaving workers behind in various sectors, industries, and geographic regions.
