Six prominent business and regional economic development groups form the first AIRLab cohort as fresh analysis indicates AI could weaken the routes STAR workers follow when moving from lower- to higher-paying positions

/PRNewswire/ -- Opportunity@Work, a national nonprofit, today revealed the launch of the AI Readiness Lab (AIRLab), a fresh effort created alongside the Brookings Institution to unite six key regions in analyzing and responding to artificial intelligence effects on local economies and workforces.

The opening AIRLab group gathers to examine and adjust to AI-driven changes in regional economies and worker routes, especially for those Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) instead of holding bachelor's degrees. Members include the Birmingham Business Alliance in the Birmingham, Alabama metro area; CenterState CEO in Syracuse and Central New York; the CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) in Indiana; the Greater Cleveland Partnership in Ohio; GREATER MSP in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota; and the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation in San Diego, California.

Across the coming six months, the economic development organizations in these six varied regions will apply localized regional data and a national peer learning network to convert labor market insights and initiatives into targeted actions. This aims to help all residents gain from AI in the future of work and foster enduring economic chances close to home.

"AIRLab exists because the AI shift in our labor market unfolds region by region, and no area should face it in isolation," said Audrey Mickahail, SVP, Market Strategy and Solutions, Opportunity@Work. "The six leaders in this first cohort are performing the careful, focused work of crafting a deliberate plan for their local economies - one that preserves the routes current workers depend on while forming the ones the AI economy will require. Their readiness to collaborate, exchange effective methods, and create this guide together represents the coordinated leadership this time demands."

The launch arrives as joint research from Opportunity@Work and Brookings showed AI effects on the labor market reach well past college graduates. Over 15 million STARs hold positions highly exposed to AI, making up 43 percent of all U.S. workers in the most exposed roles. Nearly 11 million of those STARs work in Gateway occupations, the stepping-stone positions that have long allowed workers to gain skills and advance into higher-wage careers. In total, nearly half of the routes between Gateway jobs and higher-paying Destination jobs face high AI exposure.

The research also showed AI exposure differs greatly across regions and concentrates in administrative, clerical, and customer service positions. For instance, customer service representatives - a Gateway occupation with more than two million workers - face high vulnerability since roughly 70 percent of tasks in these roles are already exposed to AI. The risk operates in both directions, potentially trapping workers in lower-wage jobs while reducing the experienced talent supply employers need for higher-wage positions. Importantly, AI exposure does not automatically lead to displacement. When used with purpose in hiring and daily tasks, AI can support workers, speed skill development, and improve matches between worker abilities and open positions. It can also create fresh routes to higher-wage work.

The pathway weakening observed now is not limited to one region but forms a structural change occurring in labor markets across the country. Yet the response must stay local since roughly 73 percent of U.S. workers live and work in the same county, and coordination among employers, educators, and workforce systems that maintains career routes occurs region by region. For employers, keeping these routes open is a talent-supply necessity. The same Gateway jobs that support worker advancement serve as the pipeline businesses need for experienced talent. Earlier technology shifts produced decades of geographic splits between regions that adapted and those that did not; AIRLab aims to help regions prepare ahead of AI changes to their labor markets.

"Major technological transitions are global in scope but their impacts can vary substantially at the local level, where employers, government, and civic leaders work together to shape growth and opportunity in a regional economy," said Joseph Parilla, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. "AIRLab gives regional leaders the evidence, frameworks, and peer network they need to both advance and adapt to artificial intelligence."

Over the six-month lab, participating organizations will:

Review pathway health in their region to map which critical career pathways remain stable and which face reshaping.
Determine their region's place in the AI economy - from applications and adoption to data centers, chips, and energy infrastructure - and identify where their region can compete and expand.
Build adapt and build strategies that protect the pathways driving upward mobility today while forming new opportunities for workers and employers in the emerging AI economy.
Learn alongside a peer network of regional leaders facing the same questions, turning shared insights into plans suited to each local economy.

The first cohort marks the initial phase of a growing effort. Opportunity@Work and Brookings intend to expand AIRLab to more regions and partners, forming a national community of practice for areas navigating the AI transition. Regional economic development, workforce, and civic organizations interested in joining a future cohort can learn more at the Opportunity@Work site.

Quotes from the Inaugural AIRLab Cohort

Birmingham Business Alliance - Birmingham, AL Metro
"The Birmingham region is taking a deliberate and collaborative approach to AI adoption - aiming to make AI a net job creator. This commitment spans industries, from healthcare to manufacturing to numerous sectors in between. This approach shines in our communities of practice, workforce development initiatives, and coordinated partnership - our AIRLab team brings together the Birmingham Business Alliance, Birmingham AI, Prosper, and Bloom Economy Labs. As AI reshapes industries and career pathways, staying ahead means learning from perspectives beyond our own. We are excited to sharpen our approach to AI readiness by engaging in the inaugural AIRLab cohort."
- Irina Pritchett, PhD, Senior Director of Business Intelligence, Birmingham Business Alliance

CenterState CEO - Syracuse / Central New York
"CenterState CEO and its partners are thrilled to be a part of the AI Readiness Lab. The jobs coming to Central New York from Micron's historic investment and other microelectronic sector projects will be significantly shaped by AI, and we have an obligation to ensure that those jobs are accessible to all. The AIRLab is an opportunity to develop strategies that will enable a resilient, skilled talent pipeline; grow AI adoption among small and midsized businesses; and a clear understanding of AI's cross-sector impact. We look forward to building thoughtful frameworks and partnerships that will help us intentionally and equitably incorporate AI into the regional economy."
- Rob Simpson, Chief Executive Officer, CenterState CEO

CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) - Indiana
"AI is clearly changing the way we work and learn, creating opportunities and disruptions alike. CICP is committed to harnessing technologies like AI for broad-based economic growth that improves the well-being of all Hoosier communities. As we join AIRLab, we are eager to learn from and share with Brookings, Opportunity@Work, and other communities from across the country in order to make the most of this unprecedented moment."
- Melina Kennedy, CEO, CEOs of Indiana Corporate Partnership

Greater Cleveland Partnership - Ohio
"AI is reshaping how people learn, work, and advance in their careers. Greater Cleveland is proud to join the AI Readiness Lab to learn and share effective practices to enable businesses, talent, and educational partners to adapt to these changes in ways that expand opportunity and accelerate growth. We are especially interested in how AI can help connect more people to high-demand careers and create clearer pathways to economic mobility."
- Michael Schoop, Senior Vice President Talent, Greater Cleveland Partnership

GREATER MSP - Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN
"GREATER MSP is building the next economy by solving some of the world's greatest challenges from right here in Minneapolis-Saint Paul and including more people in that economic growth. We are going to need to harness AI in pursuit of those missions and adapt for the real disruptions that are impacting people's lives. Our region isn't alone in navigating change. The AI Readiness Lab presents a timely opportunity for regions across the U.S. to develop smarter, more unified approaches to how we make AI work for us. We look forward to learning and building alongside peers that are motivated to boldly and responsibly adapt to a future that's already here - as we pursue greater growth and prosperity for everyone in our communities."
- Peter Frosch, CEO, The GREATER MSP Partnership

San Diego Regional EDC - San Diego, CA
"We are thrilled to be part of the inaugural AI Readiness Lab. AI won't automatically deliver broad prosperity - that depends on how regions prepare. San Diego's economy runs on exactly the kind of skilled, career-building roles that AI is reshaping fastest. We already see a widening gap between economic growth and entry-level hiring in the occupations our young workers count on to launch their careers. Getting this transition right is critical to our region's prosperity and competitiveness, and we are excited to learn alongside five peer regions working to turn AI from a threat into an engine of opportunity."
- Eduardo Velasquez, Vice President, San Diego Regional EDC

About Opportunity@Work
Opportunity@Work is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise on a mission to rewire the labor market so all Americans can work, learn, and earn to their full potential. Our work advances economic opportunities for the 70+ million U.S. workers who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs) instead of through a bachelor's degree. Opportunity@Work engages with corporate, public sector, talent technology, and philanthropic partners through landmark research and labor market data analysis, public awareness and narrative change, STARs-centric software tools, and multi-sector networks. Our goal is to enable upward mobility for 1 million STARs by opening up 10 million jobs, and boost their earnings by 100 billion dollars by 2035. Learn more at opportunityatwork.org

About the Brookings Institution

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Media Contact

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SOURCE Opportunity@Work