WASHINGTON — Major technology companies and other large employers are expanding workforce training and reskilling programs aimed at helping employees adapt to the growing use of artificial intelligence, as businesses and policymakers increase efforts to address concerns about job disruption linked to the technology.
On Thursday, a new bipartisan initiative known as RAISE US was launched with support from AI developers, employers and public-sector partners, according to organizers. The program is backed by companies including Amazon, Microsoft, IBM and Bank of America and is intended to help workers prepare for changes in the labor market associated with AI adoption. Organizers said the initiative will begin with projects in several U.S. states focused on retraining, career guidance and workforce transition policies.
The announcement comes as companies across multiple industries increase investments in AI systems while also expanding training programs designed to help workers use new tools and move into evolving roles. Amazon said on Thursday that it had joined RAISE US as a founding member and would continue workforce development efforts through its existing education and skills programs. “The transition to an AI-driven economy will create enormous opportunity, but only if we invest now in helping workers develop the skills to seize it,” Amazon Chief Global Affairs and Legal Officer David Zapolsky said in a company statement.
Microsoft has also announced partnerships and training initiatives focused on AI literacy and workforce preparation, including programs developed with labor organizations and educational institutions. The company said earlier this year that such efforts are intended to help workers gain skills needed in an AI-enabled economy.
IBM, meanwhile, has expanded AI-focused education and training offerings through its SkillsBuild program, which the company said is designed to provide workers, students and policymakers with access to AI-related learning resources.
The workforce initiatives follow growing debate over how AI will affect employment. Some companies have reduced staffing while increasing spending on AI technologies, prompting concerns among workers about potential displacement. At the same time, executives at several firms have argued that AI is more likely to change jobs than eliminate them entirely and that new roles will emerge as adoption expands.
Organizers of the RAISE US coalition said participating companies, state governments and educational institutions will work on pilot programs intended to support workers as AI becomes more widely used across the economy. Details on the full scope of the projects remain limited, but organizers said implementation efforts are expected to begin in the coming months.
