LANSING, Mich. (WILX/WNEM/WLUC) – Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more popular in schools and the workplace as community colleges, national experts, and state leaders look to embrace the new technology.

Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist and national experts met with leaders of community colleges across the state Tuesday to discuss how AI is accelerating changes in the workforce and what they can do to help students better prepare for those changes as they head into the workforce.

“We are in a moment in time that is incredibly important where change is coming, but it hasn’t fully taken hold yet,” said Alex Swartsel, an expert on AI and part of Jobs of the Future.

Swartsel said AI is moving faster than any other technological transformation the world has ever seen, but can be used by educators to help position Michigan as a leader in higher education and thus create a stronger workforce.

Lt. Governor Gilchrist encouraged educators Tuesday to use AI to their advantage, saying the new technology could greatly impact the state by enabling people to work more efficiently, effectively, and in some cases, do tasks they’ve never been able to do before.

“We have the ability to shape it and the ability to direct how and whether everyone can have access to it,” Gilchrist said.

According to a study from PEW Research, in 2022, 19 percent of American workers worked at a job that could be replaced by AI. Lt. Governor Gilchrist said encouraging the new technology could keep Michigan students ahead of the curve and ensure the state’s workforce isn’t left behind.

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