January 15, 2026
Upjohn Institute President Mike Horrigan served as a panelist at a Capitol Hill discussion on how artificial intelligence is reshaping the U.S. workforce. The event, Preparing American Workers for an AI Age, was held Jan. 15 in the Russell Senate Office Building and featured opening remarks by Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. The panel brought together policy experts to examine how automation and AI are changing skill demands, job growth and workforce training needs.
Horrigan shared research on how demographic shifts and technological change are converging to tighten labor markets and increase demand for higher-skilled workers. He pointed to declining birth rates and the retirement of the baby boom generation as forces that will slow labor force growth in the coming decade.
“What this implies is that we will need to produce more with a much slower-growing labor force,” Horrigan said. “One likely pathway is through increases in productivity, specifically continued advances in automation and the use of AI.”
Horrigan highlighted evidence showing that occupations with greater exposure to AI tend to grow faster when paired with higher levels of education and training, while lower-skill roles face greater risk of decline. He noted that these trends are consistent with decades-long shifts in employer demand toward more skilled workers.
The discussion also focused on policy responses, including the need for better data on AI use in the workplace, sustained investment in workforce training programs, and stronger partnerships among employers, educators and workforce development agencies.
The event was organized by the Niskanen Center and drew participants from congressional offices, federal agencies, think tanks and companies working in workforce development and technology.
Horrigan’s participation reflects the Upjohn Institute’s ongoing research and policy engagement on the economic development, labor markets and workforce training.
