Press Releases

Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) introduced H.R. 9381, AI Workforce Assessment and Research Enhancement (AWARE) Act, legislation aimed at closing a critical data gap on how artificial intelligence is being used in workplaces and impacting American workers.

On introduction, Chairman Walberg said: “Artificial intelligence is transforming workplaces across the country faster than any technology in a generation. To keep pace, we must have reliable insight into how these technologies are affecting jobs, skills, and workforce needs. The AWARE Act provides the clarity necessary to support workers, guide training and education efforts, and ensure the United States remains at the forefront of innovation.”

Background: Specifically, the AWARE Act requires BLS to compile statistics on the usage of AI in the workforce in order to respond to technological change more effectively and better inform workforce and education policy.

In 2019, Congress directed BLS to develop a strategy to better understand how automation, digitization, and AI are changing the employment landscape and to submit a report to Congress on developing a data collection strategy. This report found that policymakers lack the necessary data to understand how technologies like AI impact the labor market. Despite efforts to gather more data on AI, there is currently no consistent or timely method for measuring how employers are utilizing AI or how it is augmenting or automating worker tasks.

###