Dr. Manjeet Rege, professor and chair of the Department of Software Engineering and Data Science, and director of the Center for Applied artificial Intelligence at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with WCCO Radio on the recent growth of artificial intelligence and how it has impacted Minnesota’s workforce. Rege discussed his research that showed one-third of Minnesotans have jobs where more than half of their daily tasks could be performed by artificial intelligence. During this time of transformation, Rege addressed the need for artificial intelligence regulation guardrails that can protect workers while supporting innovation.
From the conversation:
Jordana Green: You and your co-author Aaron Rosenthal did this study, and I would like to know if you could go over what the findings of this study were?
Manjeet Rege: AI is already reshaping how people are hired, monitored and even evaluated. So, these findings highlight that AI is not a distant future issue, but a present-day force shaping the realities of Minnesota’s workforce.
Adam Carter: If either it is Minnesota of the government, what would be the most pressing regulation or guardrail that a state legislature or congress could do right now to protect people and still appreciate and continue the advancement of AI?
Rege: There needs to be transparency on if somebody is getting monitored with AI then employees should know … employees may not know about and that is where transparency comes in. I’m calling regulators to have a bill passed where this is mandatory, not only transparency but the systems implemented within the company. Are they being monitored on a regular basis in terms of bias and fairness?
