Report/Research
AI for Economic Opportunity and Advancement: A Call to Action
A Call to Action
We believe artificial intelligence (AI) holds extraordinary potential to revolutionize our economy and create a world where everyone can build livelihoods and thrive. But, as with previous technological revolutions, the benefits of AI are not guaranteed to be distributed equally, and its growth could either accelerate progress for all or further widen divides.
At Jobs for the Future (JFF), we see an urgent need to investigate how AI could lead to higher-quality jobs, catalyze wealth-building, and promote economic opportunity—for all of us.
It’s time to claim economic mobility as one of the most important standards by which our society should judge the progress of artificial intelligence. It’s time to ask: is AI making us all better off?
Our call to action is structured around several components of economic advancement, including the creation of quality jobs, preparation for quality jobs, ensuring people can obtain quality jobs, and mobilizing America to this vision, as well as the importance of greater representation in technology by people of all backgrounds.
This call to action is not merely a call to secure jobs; it’s a rallying cry for an urgent, concerted effort across sectors to transform work itself, empower learners and workers, and adapt our education and workforce systems in ways that truly move the needle on economic advancement.
We want this call to action to be a living document, catalyzing partnerships and shaping policies that harness AI's transformative potential to improve economic outcomes for all. We eagerly invite you to engage with us, point out ideas we’ve missed or those we need to refine, argue with our thinking, share resources and data, and co-develop initiatives to bring these and related ideas to life.
This is only the beginning—and we’re excited to work hand-in-hand with our partners to make sure that AI, truly, makes us all better off. Join us.
New Research on AI’s Impact on Work and Learning
New results from a survey commissioned by Jobs for the Future (JFF) and conducted by AudienceNet shed light on how U.S. workers and learners perceive, use, and experience AI.
Survey findings indicate that while interest in and use of AI are growing in learning, at work, and for career advancement—especially among people of color—notable gaps, barriers to access, and challenges remain. Both education and workforce systems must address these disparities to ensure that AI’s potential for improving people’s quality of work and quality of life reaches everyone.
Survey Highlights
Interest in and use of AI is increasing, as we would expect, and the impact of AI is already being felt.
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The increase in use seems to be through individual effort rather than a systemic push to support workers.
- Respondents most commonly report using AI for self-directed learning (60%) and were twice as likely to use AI on their own initiative at work (20%) versus at their employer’s direction (11%).
- Only 16% of respondents reported having access to paid AI tools from their employer or educational institution. About 10% said they were personally paying for the tools, and people of color were more likely to report paying for them (15%).
- In 2023, just 8% of respondents said their employer provided training on AI tools. That number nearly quadrupled to 31% in 2024. However, most workers (56%) said they don’t feel prepared to use AI in their work.
How often do you use AI tools? How do you use AI?
The impact of AI on careers in the next 3-5 years is apparent but is just beginning to influence workers’ future plans for career and skill development.
- 77% of respondents said they believe AI will impact the job or career they expect to have in the next 3-5 years.
- 19% of respondents said they are actively pursuing different careers (7%) or considering changing plans in the near future (12%) due to AI-driven transformation—and 19% said they have already used AI tools to obtain a better job.
Has the impact of AI influenced the career path or work you are considering for the future?
