The House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing, “Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work,” which focused on how AI is reshaping the American workplace and potential regulatory approaches that do not impede innovation while protecting workers.
Workplace transformation: Several Committee Members and witnesses highlighted the transformative benefits of AI in the workplace, particularly in patient outcomes in healthcare.
- David Walton, Partner at Fisher Phillips, compared AI to the advent of the internet in terms of its potential to create more new jobs and/or positively transform existing ones more than it displaces jobs.
- Democrat Members of the Committee, including Rep. McBath (D-GA), emphasized the importance of ensuring workers can share in the benefits of AI and how organized labor should have a say in how it is integrated in the workplace.
- Republican Members, including Chair Walberg (R-MI), stressed that the priority should be ensuring American is the global leader on AI.
Transparency and the importance of data: Both sides and nearly all witnesses stressed the need for transparency and building trust in the workplace for AI to be effective.
- Revana Sharfuddin of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University called for better workforce data to understand how AI is changing jobs and urged a “measurement-first” approach to AI and AI regulation, so that training, standards, and regulations are grounded in evidence.
- Subcommittee Chair Allen (R-GA) and Ranking Member DeSaulinier (D-CA) both agreed that clear expectations in the use of AI at work are essential to protect workers.
Are existing laws enough? While some Democrat Committee Members urged for new safeguards, Bradford Kelley, Shareholder at Littler Mendelson, cautioned against new regulations, arguing in his testimony that existing employment laws already address AI-related issues such as discrimination.
The bottom line: Overall, Republicans and Democrats alike remain cautious of overregulating AI for fear of stifling innovation and losing ground to China. However, several Democrats – and a growing number of Republicans – are seeking greater safeguards for workers. Expect more and more hearings throughout the year on workplace AI and eventually proposed legislation.
