Arizona Senator Mark Kelly recently spearheaded a panel discussion at Arizona State University focused on America's AI trajectory and his 'AI for America' roadmap initiative. Kelly, who appeared virtually due to other commitments in Washington, D.C., was joined by notable figures such as ASU President Michael Crow, former Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, and tech entrepreneur Jason Goldman. The conversation revolved around public-private partnerships, the impact of AI on the economy, workforce implications, and the imperative of innovation while mitigating potential downsides.
During the event, which can be viewed online, Kelly emphasized the country's incredible potential to address significant problems with AI, but underscored the need for being proactive. "This is an incredible opportunity for our country and for the planet. Just think about the problems we could solve. […] If we’re not thoughtful about it up front, we could make mistakes, and we could look back 10 years in the future and think, ‘I wish we would’ve done XYZ.’ That is the point of my paper: to put this out there for people, to consider this being a public-private partnership with companies investing in the future of work, investing in the infrastructure, and building an AI ecosystem that can benefit everybody," Kelly told the attendees, according to the Senator Mark Kelly press release.
Crow said AI can disrupt jobs and labor, but also empower workers and learning. He explained that the challenge is finding ways to stay ahead of the disruption and use AI to create better outcomes than today’s technology allows, according to the discussion transcript.
Julie Su said private companies focus on profits but often avoid broader responsibilities. She praised the AI for America framework for pushing companies to consider public good, asking why public needs should be disrupted by private goals without companies taking on more responsibility.
Goldman warned that AI could have unintended consequences like social media did. He stressed the need for input from outside the industry to avoid repeating past mistakes, according to Senator Kelly’s press release.
