How can today’s workforce adapt to new technologies and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence? That’s what State Rep. Louis Riggs, R-Hannibal, said he’s working on. He chairs a .
“How do we basically get ahead of Artificial Intelligence – what it’s going to do for us and also to us. (It’s) interesting, some of the trails we’ve been led down,” he told Missourinet. “So, now I’m talking to my internet providers and it’s all about speed because AI is taxing the systems in a way they never dreamt possible.”
Riggs said his goal is to help adults return to the classroom to retrain for a new and changing workforce. But it will have to start with changing state law.
“To let our folks in government do their jobs in such a way that AI and whatever, you know, advances in technology, have made something obsolete,” he said. “So, that’s a place we need to go, but also we need to be looking down the road as far as…we’re going to plus up those areas of the economy.”
One possible solution is helping Missourians get signed up for free online college classes to help them get a better job, through the state’s 23 job centers.
“How do we educate people in place to make sure that they have the life skills in front of them, the ability to get an industry certification mid-career or retrain?” Riggs asked. “We have problems all over the state with training deserts themselves. So, what do we need to do for these career and tech centers? How do we plus-up our folks in community colleges to do that really employer-centric work?”
The Special House Committee on Workforce Innovation and Technology is required to put together a list of recommendations this year for state lawmakers to consider.
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