The AI Skills Gap: Workers Eager to Learn, Businesses Falling Behind

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich warns that the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to a transformation in the employer-employee relationship, with many Americans working for AI intermediaries and platforms. Reich emphasizes that while AI may increase efficiency, it will also be extremely destabilizing for the U.S. middle class, eradicating labor protections and creating a spot auction market for employment. Concerns about the implications of AI on the workforce have grown, with a majority of Americans expressing more concern than excitement about its increased use. Lawmakers, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, are considering regulatory frameworks for AI, and Reich suggests rethinking ideas like universal basic income to address the economic impact of AI.