Hochul launches AI workforce push with focus on women

Maria Curi

Illustration of a woman climbing up a ladder with the rungs as blinking cursors. — Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Stock: Getty Images

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) is turning her attention to AI's impact on workers, launching a series of listening sessions Wednesday that will initially focus on how women will experience job disruptions.

Why it matters: Hochul is trying to balance New York's embrace of AI with concerns about its impact on workers.

Driving the news: Wednesday's listening session will feature several women whose jobs have already been directly impacted by AI, according to an announcement shared first with Axios.

AI is projected to impact administrative, clerical and customer service work.
In New York, women make up 84% of employment in those roles, according to the announcement.
These are also the roles that historically have offered upward financial mobility, Hochul's office notes.

The big picture: Hochul is aiming to position New York as a leader in both AI regulation and training.

Last month, she signed an executive order to create the nation's first statewide data center moratorium.
New York also offers AI training and tools to the entire state workforce of more than 100,000 employees.

What's next: The listening session is part of Hochul's FutureWorks Commission, which is tasked with identifying "real-time data strategies for monitoring AI's impact" on workers and proposing policy and private sector solutions by the end of the year.

The commission will hold more listening sessions over the coming weeks.

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Hochul launches AI workforce push with focus on women

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