AI's Impact on the US Workforce

This document explores the integration of AI agents into the workplace, analyzing both worker desires and technological capabilities. It introduces the WORKBank database, a novel resource compiling first-hand data from 1,500 domain workers across 104 occupations and assessments from 52 AI experts. The research highlights that workers generally desire automation for repetitive, low-value tasks to free up time for higher-value work, but often prefer a collaborative human-AI partnership over full automation. It also reveals mismatches between worker desires and current AI investments and research efforts, suggesting a need to redirect focus towards areas where AI can truly augment human capabilities and address workers' needs. The study proposes a Human Agency Scale (HAS) to quantify the spectrum of human involvement, from full automation to essential human collaboration, offering a human-centered lens for understanding AI's evolving role in various professions.