A specialized task force consisting of 30 business and industry leaders dedicated to examining the impact that artificial intelligence will have in Wisconsin has released its final action plan, complete with several proposed policies.
The Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence was formed last August and has spent the last 11 months examining how AI’s workforce impacts may affect Wisconsin’s key industries, occupations and foundational skillsets.
The task force’s newly released action plan includes proposals aimed at expanding digital literacy, developing more flexible training and credentialing, increasing industry adoption of AI tools, and continuing to remove employment barrier while connecting “underutilized talent pools” with AI skills.
“A thriving economy benefits workers, employers, job seekers, and the sustainability of the communities in which they live and work,” said Missy Hughes, secretary and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. “To achieve this vision and leverage the potential of AI, a strategic approach is needed to support the modernization of Wisconsin’s economy, ranging from manufacturing and agriculture to technology and infrastructure. The task force action plan makes important recommendations to drive this positive change.”
The bulk of the task force’s proposals are centered around education, both K-12 and higher education.
Some of the education-focused proposals include further investments in AI research at universities; integrating AI in curricular development and teaching methods; hiring more staff in AI-related fields such as computer science and engineering; creating a structure for stackable AI credentials among Wisconsin’s colleges and universities; and identifying “responsible AI tools” to use across all educational sectors.
Workforce development proposals include bolstering the state’s apprenticeship infrastructure, increasing access to training for workers displaced or otherwise affected by AI in the workforce, expanding the Wisconsin Fast Forward program to fund grants for employers who train their employees in AI, creating an AI digital literacy campaign, and establishing a layoff aversion program to help mitigate the negative impacts of AI’s ongoing technological transformation. The task force also recommended creating an AI workforce talent pipeline program to raise awareness about AI-related careers and training options.
The task force also crafted three proposed economic development policies. The first, called AI Supports for Wisconsin Business, would provide assistance and potential seed funding to businesses facing barriers to implementing AI technology. The second policy, called AI Innovation Hubs, would see the creation of “welcoming spaces” where entrepreneurs can incubate their ideas with support. The final proposed policy, AI Roadmap for Businesses, would lead to the creation of a forum in which business and community leaders can learn about AI and share their experiences.
“We know that AI technologies are already changing the world as we know it—including the way folks work. And it’s why Wisconsin is working to lead the way on AI implementation and ethical utilization as we continue our work to build an economy that works for everyone,” said Gov. Tony Evers via a Tuesday announcement. “Thanks to the strategic action plan developed by the Governor’s Task Force on Workforce and Artificial Intelligence, Wisconsin is now equipped with guiding principles to design policy and prepare programs to empower all our workers and employers for the dynamic future ahead. I want to thank the members of the task force for investing their time, expertise, and ideas as we explore this new frontier for our state’s workforce.”
Several Milwaukee-area business leaders provided feedback as part of the governor’s task force, including Nadiyah Johnson, CEO of the Milky Way Tech Hub; Israel Squires, managing partner at Milwaukee-based Midpoint Ventures; Kaushal Chari, dean of UW-Milwaukee’s Sheldon B. Lubar College of Business; and Jeffrey Morin, president of Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design.
