DOL’s workplace AI strategy follows historical approach to technology

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is responding consistently with its historical approach to technological advancements. Before adopting AI-related compliance frameworks, the DOL is prioritizing workforce readiness for an AI-powered world. Aligned with the current administration’s policies, the DOL’s approach promotes innovation over restriction and guidance over enforcement, signaling a gradual evolution of the DOL’s AI-related policies and initiatives rather than a single regulatory action. 

DOL’s overall strategy 

Historically, the DOL has responded to major workforce shifts by first preparing workers and employers. In the 1950s and 1960s, the DOL responded to factory automation’s large-scale displacement of manufacturing workers with training and reskilling initiatives. In the 1970s, as manufacturing processes grew more complex and increasingly exposed workers to safety and health risks, the DOL first invested in education and training programs to mitigate risks before implementing compliance and enforcement mechanisms. In the 1990s, as the Internet and digital technologies advanced, the DOL modernized its public-facing systems and integrated digital tools into its existing employment and workforce programs to underscore accessibility to workers and employers.