Alexander Colvin, Ph.D. ’99, the Kenneth F. Kahn ’69 Dean and Martin F. Scheinman ’75, MS ’76, Professor of Conflict Resolution in the ILR School, will serve on a blue-ribbon commission charged with developing recommendations on how New York state can protect workers’ economic security while harnessing the economic benefits of AI.

“The impact of AI on jobs is a central issue facing our economy, and it is vital that we address how workers in New York state can both be protected from the downsides and share in the benefits of this rapid wave of technological change at work,” said Colvin, who was named to the FutureWorks Commission by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

With faculty who study data science, labor law and human resources, the ILR School is uniquely positioned to inform policy with research on where AI is being deployed and how it can create opportunities for businesses and workers, Colvin said.

“There is a lot of fear of the unknown surrounding AI and how it will affect workers, but just as the industrial revolution shifted jobs from the farm to the factory, jobs won’t necessarily go away, but they will shift,” he said. “At the ILR School, we’re working to figure out how to shift in a way that is best for both employees and employers.”

The commission is composed of 20 members, each offering specific expertise in technology, workforce development, education and the economy, and will be chaired by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Thasunda Brown Duckett of TIAA and Molly Kinder of the Brookings Institution.

“Preparing our economy to contend with AI may turn out to be the defining challenge of our time,” Hochul said in a press release announcing the commission membership. “I’m grateful that business and labor leaders, researchers and industry experts are stepping up to help New York achieve a future where everyone can share in the prosperity promised by the innovation economy.”

The commission will meet for the first time in late July and is expected to deliver recommendations by the end of the year.

Julie Greco is director of communications for the ILR School.