The AI Job Disaster Congress Refuses to Fix
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Support for today's show comes from me, Tara Swisher, and Johns Hopkins University. Last week, I interviewed Gina Raimondo, 40th Secretary of Commerce and 75th Governor of Rhode Island, in the fifth live episode of On with Tara Swisher that I've recorded at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC. In each episode, I've hosted timely discussions on AI, policy, copyright, and intellectual property, and more as part of the Hopkins Bloomberg Center's Discovery Series. Listen to my conversation with Gina Raimondo in this week's episode and stay tuned for more live discussions to come from our partnership with Johns Hopkins University. What is the problem on the federal level?
Why couldn't the Biden administration get this done? Why couldn't?
I mean, I'd like Congress... Long eye roll for people listening at home. This is a podcast. You can't see my face. No, you can now.
We're not... Podcasts are now video.
Good point, actually, yeah. It's on!
It's on!
Hi, everyone. From New York Magazine and the Vox Media Podcast Network, this is On with Kara Swisher, and I'm Kara Swisher. My guest today is Gina Raimondo, the US Secretary of Commerce under the Biden administration and former governor of Rhode Island. During Gina's tenure as secretary, she held a crucial role in the passage of two huge pieces of legislation, the CHIPS Act, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Now, Gina has been turning her efforts to getting the American workforce ready for AI with a nonpartisan organization she co-founded with former Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb. It's really important to talk to Gina. She's one of these sort of quiet, competent people that always end up doing a lot of big things in ways that are critically important.
I think the CHIPS Act and the infrastructure bill are very important, and she's someone who actually appeals to people across party lines. And she makes an effort to do so in an incredibly competent way. What she's talking about is really important. And of course, she may be a presidential candidate too. So it's important to listen to how she thinks about these things. And of course, AI and jobs is an important issue for the American voters. This episode was recorded live at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. as part of their Discovery Series. Our expert question today comes from Joanna Stern. So stick around.
I've wanted to get you on forever, as you know, and here we are finally. I'm very excited. All right, Secretary Gina Raimondo. Gina, thank you for coming on on. And... And thanks to the Johns Hopkins University, which currently is celebrating its 150th year. If you didn't know, Hopkins is America's first research university, and I'm glad to be back at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. So let's get started. We have a lot to cover on AI. This is something I know you taught. You were one of the first people to talk about this as Commerce Secretary and in other places that I recall hearing about. But I want to get a sense of where you are and what's coming. So on a scale of one to 10, how worried are you for the United States about the rapid acceleration of what we're seeing?
And, you know, call on the stuff you had done as Commerce Secretary and maybe as the governor of Rhode Island, which is, I think, the coolest job ever.
But it is the best job. Being the governor is the best job in American politics, I think. It's awesome. Well, first of all, thank you for having me. I'm a big fan, and it's fun for me to be here. I'd say, you know, nine, pretty high. Wow. Yeah. So, and here's why. Okay. You're saying concerns. Yeah. Yeah. Here's why. Because I don't think the country has the laws, the institutions, the, you know, we're not ready. Commerce secretary, it's a, it's an interesting job. You're half trade minister and half tech minister in the US system. So I was the AI minister. Right.
You also get the census, right?
And census and fish. And if you want to know anything about red snapper catchment, I'm your woman.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–13:16
2
How worried is Gina Raimondo about AI’s impact on US jobs and why?
13:16–21:43
3
Why does Raimondo say politics and institutions matter more than AI technology?
21:43–25:50
4
How has money in politics and lobbying blocked federal AI workforce policy?
25:50–31:11
5
What is Raise Us and how can governors pilot workforce solutions for AI?
31:11–40:50
6
What economic and policy tools does Raimondo propose to protect displaced workers?
40:50–41:56
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from On with Kara Swisher
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