But there’s also excitement about reskilling, reimagining roles, and the resilience of the U.S. economy. How to manage the AI transition dominated discussions at a gathering to celebrate the “Best of American Business” this week hosted by Just Capital, a nonprofit founded in 2014 by hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones II to catalyze private-sector leadership around major societal challenges.
The conversations were conducted under the Chatham House rule, meaning I can share their takeaways without direct attribution and give you some data on how consumers are thinking about AI.
“We need a Manhattan Project around labor.” That’s what one CEO told me is needed to manage the AI transition. Faced with the specter of Nazi Germany getting a nuclear bomb in WWII, the U.S. led a massive allied effort to get there first. Now, the race is against China, adding pressure to move at a rate that could destabilize society if too many people are left behind. This leader argued that the public and private sectors have to work together on solutions. The speed and scale of AI transformation is accelerating at a time when the country is deeply divided about education, entitlements, and the role of government.
