McFerran: DOL's AI Course Must Prioritize Worker Protections

The rapid acceleration of generative AI highlights the need for worker-centered training systems that prioritize long-term stability over short-term "Band-Aid" solutions. 

For example, the Department of Labor’s recent “Make America AI-Ready” text-only AI literacy program places the responsibility for training on individual workers and focuses primarily on simple tasks like learning how to use basic AI tools. As Lauren McFerran, Executive Director of the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, told NPR, these efforts fall far short of what is needed to help workers navigate the rapidly changing landscape that AI and new technologies are creating in the workplace. 

Instead, to move toward a more equitable future, we must build on the labor movement’s leadership as the largest private sector job training provider and ensure that all workers have access to the high-quality training, wraparound supports and career pathways they need to succeed. By centering robust labor standards and worker-centered training, we can help ensure that technological progress benefits all workers rather than a privileged few.

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