The adoption of artificial intelligence is transforming the workplace, but it’s also raising challenges such as job-skill mismatches and uneven adoption rates. Where are vulnerabilities in Wisconsin’s workforce when it comes to AI?
Rina Ghose, professor, industrial & manufacturing engineering, has received sponsorship from Microsoft to extract the status of AI in the workforce at different locations around the state, revealing the impact of AI disruption and regional variations in areas, such as access to workforce training.
The information is needed for guiding policymakers as they help foster growth and workforce readiness in the AI-driven economy.
Ghose specializes in data science and will analyze AI labor force data across the state. Her expertise in Geographic Information Science (GIS) will help her to harness locational intelligence, by analyzing locational data with other datasets to reveal relationships and patterns over time and place.
During the one-year project, Ghose will answer placed-based questions, such as where current and projected employer needs are, where the resources are currently deployed, where the skilled workers are, and where they are needed.
The study’s geospatial aspect makes it unique, she said, because seeing information on a map often addresses distribution questions that can help direct public policy interventions.
“What could really be useful is to know the conditions broken down by localities,” Ghose said.
Time is also important because industry is just beginning to adapt AI to their needs. “So, this year’s job postings can be totally different even from last year’s,” she said.
Ghose and doctoral student Fahimeh Mohebbi also will focus on Milwaukee County as a case study because many industries are located in Milwaukee, and they can gain insight into AI workforce development across different industries. Also, they can potentially find patterns that can help them understand similar challenges in other regions.
“As AI reshapes the labor market, it’s critical that public policy is grounded in data that reflects local realities,” said Jasmine Thomas, Senior Director at Microsoft. “Professor Ghose’s research is compelling and will illuminate geospatial insights for policymakers to advocate for targeted, evidence-based strategies that prepare Wisconsin’s workforce to thrive in the AI economy.”
Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella earned his master’s degree in computer science at UWM. Last year Microsoft made a $3.3 billion investment in several projects around the state, which includes establishing the nation’s first manufacturing-focused AI Co-Innovation Lab at UWM’s Connected Systems Institute. The new lab will give students and companies hands-on learning with AI and connect them with Microsoft experts.