Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced a bill to ensure artificial intelligence (AI) continues to benefit American workers.
What the Bill Does
Specifically, Sen. Kelly's Make AI Work for Americans Act creates a new National Service for America's Future program that helps workers earn credentials, certifications, or apprenticeships and expands existing workforce development, education, research, economic development, and labor market programs.
Additionally, the bill increases unemployment benefits to 75 percent of workers' wages for 26 weeks and supports small business growth by offering resources for entrepreneurship training, technical assistance, and start-up capital.
Finally, the workforce development program would be updated to ensure faster responses to changes in the labor market and employer needs through investments in community college partnership training programs.
What Kelly is Saying
"Big Tech stands to make enormous profits, while workers are facing real uncertainty about what AI will mean for their jobs and their futures," said Sen. Kelly in a press release. "The Make AI Work for Americans Act makes these companies contribute to helping workers prepare for what comes next. That means giving Americans real choices, whether that's learning a new skill through a union training program or community college, finding a good-paying job, serving their community, or starting a business of their own. As AI changes our economy, workers and their families should come first, not the bottom lines of tech CEOs."
Previous AI Bills
The Make AI Work for Americans Act is the latest piece of legislation the Arizona Senator has introduced concerning AI in 2026, with the most recent being the Senior Chatbot Protection Act in late July.
In June, Kelly introduced the twin Ultimate Human Responsibility in Defense Systems Act and the Warfighter AI Readiness and Preparedness (WARP) Act, which address integrating AI into the military, along with two separate bills to study the impact of AI on America's workforce and seniors.
