Sec. 2. Findings

474 words·~2 min read·/bill/118/hr/6791/ih/section-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

The Congress finds the following: Artificial intelligence

(AI)is a transformative technology that affects nearly every aspect of the United States economy. As AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous, AI literacy will become as important as digital literacy is today. Technological leadership in AI is an economic and national security imperative. Maintaining this leadership requires a sufficient workforce to research and develop AI capabilities. Such a workforce must contain both technical talent, such as computer engineers and data scientists, and nontechnical talent, such as product managers and sales engineers, who understand AI. Effective AI literacy initiatives encompass not only technical training but also include comprehensive education about the potential benefits and risks associated with AI technologies. Informed developers and consumers of AI technologies can help mitigate potential risks and biases often found in systems that utilize AI. Basic AI literacy is critical to ensuring that Americans have the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the economy and digital world. With AI being increasingly adopted by consumer-facing companies and widely used tools on the internet, Americans of all ages and occupations should have the skills and tools needed to understand AI and its limitations at a basic level as well as skills to identify when AI is being employed. Successful AI literacy initiatives will prepare Americans of all ages and technical backgrounds to safely navigate AI tools and AI-enabled technologies. Communities most often negatively impacted by AI-enabled technologies often have the least access to AI education. AI literacy initiatives must engage stakeholders and communities in all stages, and specific outreach efforts should be made for communities disproportionately impacted by the digital divide, including minority and rural communities. According to a survey of adults commissioned by Jobs for the Future, a non-profit organization with a focus on workforce development and education, 58 percent believe that learning opportunities around AI should be offered to workers, 53 percent believe that such opportunities should be available to learners, and 54 percent believe that they would feel more prepared for the future impact of AI if they were given learning tools for it. As of 2018, the United States AI workforce stood at about 14,000,000 workers, or about 9 percent of total employment. From 2019 to 2029, demand for AI occupations is projected to grow twice as fast as for all occupations in the United States. In 2021, Black students made up only 7.5 percent of AI-related bachelor’s degrees despite making up 14 percent of the population. While women account for 60 percent of college graduates, they constitute only 40 percent of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics graduates and 25 percent of graduates in AI fields. Efforts in AI literacy can help to bridge stark differences in attainment across demographic groups. The need for a strong workforce of AI workers, as well as an AI-literate population, requires investment in AI literacy education.