The impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the American workforce are front and center on the minds of policymakers at all levels of government. At the federal level, the Trump Administration has released policy frameworks, and the Department of Labor published its AI Literacy Framework in February 2026. AI impacts will vary across the country, but it is imperative that workforce development leaders and professionals are working to address the changing nature of work with training and education partners as well as employers.
In the context of federal funding and policy, the impacts of AI may be more acute. Any widespread economic disruption will require greater public investments to help workers and job seekers adjust in this rapidly changing environment. The Trump Administration and Congress have an opportunity, through the budget and appropriations process, to prioritize these investments. It remains critical that local workforce development professionals remain engaged with your elected officials to describe the AI impact to the district/state but also highlight the efforts to address these issues.
The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) places a mandate/emphasis on serving the most vulnerable. Forecasting the impacts of AI were not as relevant in 2014 when WIOA was reauthorized. As the House shifts its policy focus to a potential WIOA Reauthorization, we expect that elements related to AI could be added to that discussion. This represents another opportunity to share the local efforts in place and the partnerships necessary to confront these economic realities.
Workforce development leaders should be a critical voice in the AI discussion – any policy framework attempting to deal with AI recognizes that the impact to the workforce is one of the top priorities of areas to address. While you can use the tools that are being developed at various levels of government, adapting them to your local economy will be key to advancing solutions that could help inform any future federal funding and policy proposals.
