Opportunity@Work has, in strategic collaboration with the Brookings Institution, launched the AI Readiness Lab (AIRLab). This new project brings together key economic figures from six large metropolitan areas in the United States to assess and counter the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on regional workforce dynamics, with special emphasis on safeguarding the career progression for non-degreed workers.
The establishment of AIRLab responds to new findings demonstrating that the fast-paced deployment of AI technology is in danger of disrupting crucial stepping stones. It is necessary for STARs (Skilled Through Alternative Routes), professionals with valuable skills obtained through military experience, community colleges, workforce boot camps, and on-the-job training but not through a conventional bachelor’s degree program.
The first AIRLab consists of six regional economic development organizations:
Birmingham Business Alliance (Birmingham, Alabama metropolitan area)
CenterState CEO (Syracuse & Central New York)
Central Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) (Indiana)
Greater Cleveland Partnership (Ohio)
GREATER MSP (Minneapolis – Saint Paul, Minnesota)
San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (San Diego, California)
“AIRLab exists because the AI transition in our labor market is happening region by region, and no region should have to navigate it alone,” said Audrey Mickahail, SVP, Market Strategy & Solutions, Opportunity@Work. “The six leaders in this inaugural cohort are doing the hard, deliberate work of building an intentional strategy for their local economies – one that protects the pathways today’s workers rely upon while creating the ones the AI economy will demand. Their willingness to work and learn alongside each other, share what’s working, and build this playbook together is exactly the kind of coordinated leadership this moment requires.”
Data Reveals Severe Exposure for Gateway Occupations
A joint study published alongside the launch by Opportunity@Work and the Brookings Institution highlights the broader vulnerability of non-college-educated labor pools. Findings indicate that over 15 million STARs work in positions with high exposure to AI tasks, representing 43% of all U.S. workers in top-tier exposed roles.
Crucially, nearly 11 million of these STARs occupy “Gateway” jobs—pivotal mid-tier roles, such as customer service representatives, administrative staff, and medical billing specialists, that historically allow workers to transition out of entry-level pay into higher-wage “Destination” careers.
Nearly half of all established career pathways connecting Gateway roles to Destination jobs face significant AI disruption. Because approximately 70% of routine tasks in roles like customer service are currently exposed to automated tools, unmanaged AI integration risks stranding workers in low-wage sectors while drying up the experienced talent pipelines that local businesses rely on for mid-level management.
“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.”
Six-Month Local Action Framework
Because approximately 73% of American workers remain in the county where they live and work, national workforce disruption requires localized policy solutions. Over the initial six-month program, AIRLab participants will leverage localized analytics and a national peer network to execute four core objectives:
Assess Regional Pathway Health: Develop an understanding of stable versus vulnerable local career pathways to understand friction points.
Understand AI Positioning in Market: Understand regional competitiveness with regards to hardware, software deployment, data centers, and infrastructure.
Develop “Adapt and Build” Strategy: Develop regional interventions that not only preserve current pathways but build new AI career pathways.
Implement Peer-to-Peer Solutions: Apply insights gained from other regions to develop economic policies and hiring strategies at the local level.
If used thoughtfully, artificial intelligence can act as a catalyst for augmenting workers’ capabilities, learning quickly, and more precise job matching. The AIRLab represents year one of the multi-year effort to create regional AI readiness.
The research findings, regional frameworks, and updates from AIRLab can be viewed on the Opportunity@Work and Brookings research portals.
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