Loading summary
Transcript20 lines
- [00:00]
A
Indiana University strengthens tomorrow's workforce with practical, real world experience. IU grads make a difference in your community, serving as teachers, nurses and engineers who rise to tomorrow's challenges and meet them. Learn more at iu.edu impact
- [00:20]
B
Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News Now Bloomberg News was reporting out earlier this week that artificial intelligence is pulling the global labor market in two opposite direct directions, rewarding companies that use AI to enhance human skills while leaving those who use it merely to cut costs further behind. This is according to a new study that's out from PricewaterhouseCoopers.
- [00:43]
C
It's the PwC 2026 AI Jobs Barometer and it showed that roles requiring specific AI skills increased almost eight times faster than the total job market in 2025. Such roles are also seeing higher wage growth, among other things.
- [00:56]
B
Yeah, it's interesting. We are. It's something we talk about a lot. And with the jobs report on Thursday, it's certainly something we think about as well. Hey, we should working to raise awareness and take action on what's coming at workers. Eric Holcomb, he's the 51st governor of Indiana. He's co founder of Raise Us, who along with Gina Raimondo, who is the 40th U.S. secretary of Commerce and the 75th governor of Rhode island, launched Raiseust. It's a nonpartisan national organization partnering with governors, employers, workers and training organizations to help the American workforce. Help really kind of them make a successful transition to an AI economy. I would largely argue that we're still trying to figure out what that AI economy looks like. He joins us from Brownsburg, Indiana. Governor Holcomb, great to have you here with Tim and myself. Welcome to Bloomberg again. First up, I want to take a step back if we could, and I'm curious about how you view the scope of AI related labor problems that your venture is looking to address. What challenges do you think the country is going to be facing and what challenges do you think the workforce will have to be facing in coming years? How acute will it get?
- [02:04]
A
Sure. Well, it's great to be with you, Carol and Tim, and with every technological advancement since. We're getting ready to celebrate our 250th birthday. And each and every one of those years we saw innovation and ingenuity and invention that has really propelled not just America, but the world for the good. And we're living in a time right now when the scale and pace of change, which can be very unsettling, lead to uncertainty, lead to thoughts of will I be left out? Will I be Sidelined, will I still have a place in the workforce? And we are at Raise us. Gina Raimondo, myself and a big team of talented folks are out to make sure that the American worker knows that there are pathways that will scale up alongside them as the AI infused economy and quantum and robots over the coming decade really comes to bear. So it's all about being prepared for the moment right now and for tomorrow and making sure, as you said, Carol, that we're working with the right stakeholders, the decision makers that can allocate and steer resources. Some of which will be ours, some of which will be states, some of which will be the employers, some of which will be the post secondary education and training providers. It's really getting folks around the table and saying here are the sectors, here are the skill sets that get you to a meaningful career. If you find yourself in a situation, that's what you're looking for.
- [03:41]
C
Well, speaking of stakeholders, let's talk a little bit about the, the organizations and the companies too that are, that are partnering with your organization. They include companies such as Amazon, anthropic, Microsoft, the OpenAI Foundation. I mean these are the companies that are bringing us into the AI revolution right now. Would it be fair for some people to view partnerships with those organizations maybe being skeptical to the work that the organization is doing a little bit like
- [04:11]
B
having the foxes in the hen house?
- [04:14]
A
Well, we operate independently and we're appreciative of everyone's support. I would just say this, I would look at it as if rewind the tape 50 years, 100 years. Pick the time in our history where large scale investors and inventors, be it electricity or the Internet or rubber, you name it, which has changed local economies. We want those folks that are creating that change to be part of the solution. Every sector out there is, is, you know, it is tech, of course, but so is advanced manufacturing, so is life sciences, so is construction, so is hospitality and tourism. And that means that they're going to remain competitive as they continue to add these technological advancements into their business model. We just want to make sure that the American worker, that we have a people strategy and to do that we're going to need resources. So I would look at these supporters as people who want to be part of the solution to the inevitable technological gains that's going to lead to, in my opinion, mass new opportunities for people if we have the right skill sets for those opportunities.
- [05:37]
B
Governor Holcomb, just playing devil's advocate a little bit though. Like where are the labor unions as part of like Kind of your board or, you know what I mean, those groups representing workers. And I think the point is these guys are companies that have a lot at stake in the AI, build and spend. And listen, to be fair, the AI horse has left the barn, and if we don't keep up, the rest of the world will. So I understand their participation, but to kind of balance it out a little bit, too, of more organizations that are going to be maybe impacted truly by AI already are.
- [06:12]
A
Well, I would say one of the unique things about Raise Us is our balanced approach where folks who have partnered with us across the, if you will, political spectrum understand and respect that we are nonpartisan, we are nonprofit, we are for public good, and they want to be a part of that. There's lots of things that we could disagree about, but we're focused on what we agree about, and that's building pathways, whether it's in the trades, whether it's, I call it the three Cs, the jobs that are going to be created out of AI, this infusion of AI and quantum and robots, jobs that revolve around control and creation and caring. Lots of unfilled jobs right now, and so be it, aviation mechanics or pilots or nurses or teachers. So we have to make sure that there are pathways for each of these different pipelines. And having folks come from all over to help us in this effort really does speak to, maybe we have this moment to have collective action really come to bear for a positive result.
- [07:24]
C
I'm glad you brought up some of the historical examples of real technological revolution and technological change. I'm curious, based on the experience that you had as governor of Indiana, because Indiana is a state that went through this. Something more recent, that would be nafta and the idea that, you know, we would see widespread job retraining efforts when all this labor to make stuff went overseas, specifically to China, you know better than anyone that didn't materialize. What did. What did we learn as a country from the failure to retrain workers for that that we could then use moving forward?
- [08:02]
A
Amen. You are preaching at the baritone section of the choir, Tim. We learned that we have to build talent pipelines that are directed, that are focused to specific sectors that are in demand. There are a lot of different economic models out there, but supply and demand is time tested and will forever be true. And so we have to simply supply the workforce to meet the business demand. And with this new technology, it's creating more opportunity, more demand from people. And what we learned in the past is if we don't have the right folks at the table collectively and have the right support involved in the whole program, the process of retraining, then it'll all be for naught. And AI, as Carol, you mentioned, of course, our national security is at stake, our very way of life. I'm also very focused, as is Gina, as is raise us on someone's personal economic security that has so much to do with your place in society, your purpose, the dignity of work. I don't think that being on the sidelines is a long term healthy strategy. And so we're trying to get people who are, who have exited the workforce, who are incumbent workers on the job that need to be reskilled or upskilled or those entry level folks who are looking at this new economy saying, am I skilled and ready for the careers of today and tomorrow? And what we learned during nafta, if we want to onshore, if we want to bring those not just factories, but business, those supply chains back to America, it will be on the backs and the brains of the American workforce. And that's what we're getting at.
- [09:54]
B
I mean, how serious is this, do you think, Governor Holcomb, if we don't get this right, how serious is this for the US Workforce? And how fast will they feel it? I mean, some would say they're feeling it already.
- [10:07]
A
Well, some are. Just ask the people who are right. And so that makes, that makes it an urgent call to action. And so you're going to feel it now, you're going to feel it in one year, three years. Think about the combination when it's really synchronized and dialed in of AI Quantum and robots. Now that calls for more humans. I believe that calls for a whole lot more human talent and labor. But for every person that feels that, that has a ripple effect not just in their world or their family's world, but their community and their state and ultimately our nation. And as you said, failure is not an option when it comes to what's at stake here.
- [10:50]
B
Hey, listen, just got about 30, 40 seconds. You're a Republican, Gina Raimondo is a Democrat. Good lesson on coming together and working together. How do you think about that against our, our political, divided political backdrop?
- [11:02]
A
And just quickly, we're not changing who we are. We've been pals for a number of years and we've both been very pragmatic and practical about how do we solve problems. And it's been a joy to be able to work with her on a day to day basis. Now, we used to work kind of afar from one another, but it's proof it can be done if you're focused on solving a problem.
- [11:25]
B
Well, we've talked with her. We've talked with you. We look forward to continuing these conversations with both of you going forward. And stay in touch and let us know how things are going.
- [11:35]
A
Absolutely. Thanks, Carol and tim.
- [11:37]
B
You bet. Governor Eric Holcomb, of course, the 51st governor of Indiana, co founder of Raise Us, joining us.
- [11:44]
A
Okay, tech leaders, word on the street is security incidents are dropping way down with Windows 11 PCs built in. Security for the Win upgrade to Windows 11 Pro at windows means business dot com.