Kelly Introduces Bill to Make Sure Big Tech Pays Fair Share and Invests in American Workers

The Make AI Work for Americans Act would require companies benefiting the most from AI to invest in American workers

Today, Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Make AI Work for Americans Act, landmark legislation designed to make sure companies benefiting the most from Artificial Intelligence (AI) pay their fair share and invest in American workers. The bill establishes a dedicated federal trust fund to support American workers, jobseekers, and communities as the economy changes.

AI is moving fast, creating uncertainty and already changing our economy and the way we work. As the technology reshapes the American workplace, the infrastructure support for workers must evolve too. This bill forces the companies driving the AI boom to invest in workers to make sure they have real options.

The Make AI Work for Americans Act builds on Kelly's AI for America roadmap, which he released last year, and laid out a broader push to ensure AI benefits all Americans, not just large companies and CEOs.

"Big Tech stands to make enormous profits, while workers are facing real uncertainty about what AI will mean for their jobs and their futures. 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," said Kelly.

The Make AI Work for Americans Act is supported by America's Service Commissions, American Federation of Teachers, Arizona Community College Coordinating Council (AC4), Arizona State University, Center for American Progress, Chicanos Por La Causa, CWI Labs, Diné College, Gila River Indian Community, Hustle PHX, InnovateEDU, Jobs for the Future (JFF), Local First Arizona, National Employment Law Project (NELP), Navajo Technical University, Teamsters, Teamsters Local 104, UFCW Local 99, UnidosUS, University of Arizona, and Voices for National Service.

"It's critical that legislators in Washington and in state capitols around the country begin to act now to help Americans make a successful transition to an AI economy. We can't leave workers behind - as we have in the past - if we want to win the global AI competition. I applaud Senator Kelly for his leadership on this issue in Congress and for his legislation to make sure that AI works for working people," said Gina Raimondo, CEO, RAISE US, former U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

"Senator Mark Kelly has introduced legislation that says the companies profiting from artificial intelligence have an obligation to the workers that technology displaces. His bill puts real money behind job training, behind paid work that carries a credential, and behind a stronger safety net for people who lose employment through no fault of their own," said Reverend Al Sharpton, President, National Action Network. Click here to read NAN's full letter of support.

"Innovation and safety are not opposing concepts; they're two sides of the same coin. That is why law and regulation, not just unbridled markets, are so important. Technology is rapidly transforming our lives-particularly our security, our classrooms, our workplaces, and our entire economy-but for it to be tenable, it must work for working people. Sen. Mark Kelly's Make AI Work for Americans Act ensures that a Big Tech tax contributes directly to the workers and communities navigating this transition. By creating the AI Horizon Fund and bringing labor and workers to the table, this bill invests in America by preparing people at every stage of their careers with the skills, stability, and opportunities they need to thrive," said Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers.

"The Make AI Work for Americans Act recognizes the critical nature of ensuring that AI protects and creates good jobs while prioritizing putting working people at the table for responsible implementation," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "We commend Senator Kelly for his work in drafting legislation that focuses on the dignity of work and creates pathways to protect workers and support them as their job evolves. That's the approach we need to earn workers' trust and grow the American middle class."

"The public is looking for Congress to step up quickly to make sure AI development and deployment benefits workers, not just wealthy investors and executives. Senator Kelly's bill offers many good ideas to push AI adoption in a pro-worker direction," said Bharat Ramamurti, former Deputy Director of the White House National Economic Council.

"The companies that are ushering in AI should pay to fix the societal harms it will cause. Senator Kelly's legislation is built on that idea. This bill puts industry dollars into supporting workers whose jobs are changing and gives everyone the resources to adapt. It will take effort from private companies and government leadership to make sure this technology develops responsibly, and I believe this bill is the right way to start," said Jon A. Shirley, former President, Chief Operating Officer, and Director of Microsoft.

"Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape our economy in ways we can't yet predict, and we need to prepare now so that Arizonans aren't left behind. I'm grateful to Senator Kelly for his leadership on this issue. Arizona is fortunate to have him fighting for our workers," said Kris Mayes, Attorney General, Arizona.

"On behalf of the Gila River Indian Community, I support Senator Kelly's leadership in introducing the Make AI Work for Americans Act. It is time for Congress to make sure that AI advancements are made in a thoughtful and deliberative manner that protects our people, our environment, and our workforce. It is critical that as Congress develops AI policies and laws that tribal governments are included and can ensure our communities and our workforce are both protected and can advance as AI evolves. Senator Kelly's legislation would ensure that the American workforce, including the tribal workforce, has opportunities to grow with AI advancements through every stage of their career by providing training and workforce opportunities for apprentices, new and existing workers, and entrepreneurs. The legislation carefully balances the U.S. labor market needs to create employment pathways while ensuring consistent monitoring of AI advancements to ensure that as AI evolves it isn't just big companies who benefit. I applaud Senator Kelly's strategic approach to ensuring workforce protections at a time when AI is evolving at a rapid pace. The Community looks forward to working with Senator Kelly as he advances this bill in Congress," said Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, Gila River Indian Community.

"I appreciate Senator Kelly's commitment to making sure some of the profits from artificial intelligence are invested in American workers who will be deeply impacted by changing technology," said Kate Gallego, Mayor, City of Phoenix.

"The future of work cannot be shaped without workers at the table. As AI changes our workplaces, workers in Tucson and across the country deserve access to the skills, support and opportunity to build a stable future paid for by the AI corporations. Senator Kelly's bill centers workers and families in our national response," said Mayor Regina Romero, City of Tucson.

"A safe AI future and a fair AI economy are two sides of the same promise. With one in five American workers expected to be Latino by 2030, our community has an enormous stake in seeing that promise kept. Senator Kelly's Make AI Work for Americans Act ensures that as the AI industry grows, so do our investments in the workers who power the American economy. This legislation invests in paid service-to-career pathways, community college and apprenticeship programs, and capital for new small businesses. It gives workers who lose their jobs real stability as they retrain and find their next opportunity; and it helps close the digital divide by supporting digital access for participants, building AI literacy into our workforce system, and making resources available to people with limited English proficiency. It also gives workers and civil rights organizations a seat at the table as AI enters the workplace. This legislation lays the foundation for modernizing how we support workers and workplaces in the age of AI. UnidosUS is proud to endorse it and urges Congress to pass it," said Eric Rodriguez, Senior Vice President of Policy & Advocacy, UnidosUS.

"Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the nature of work, and our workforce development systems must evolve alongside it. JFF is proud to support the Make AI Work for Americans Act, which invests in the systems already serving workers while expanding access to education and training, strengthening service-to-career pathways, supporting entrepreneurship, and helping workers navigate technological change. We applaud Senator Kelly's leadership in advancing a vision for AI that puts workers at the center and helps ensure technological progress creates greater economic opportunity for people and communities across the country," said Maria Flynn, President and CEO, Jobs for the Future (JFF).

"Senator Kelly's Make AI Work for Americans Act is a series of policy proposals focused on what Americans will need most in the AI age. If AI has the transformative impact on our society that those who are building it say it will, we will need new ideas and a safety net for our workforce, small businesses, and more. This bill focuses on how to deliver real benefits to Americans impacted by AI and makes sure companies pay their fair share to ensure that AI works for all of us. It's refreshing to see real leaders rising to the challenge of the AI age and we applaud the Senator for his efforts," said Neera Tanden, President and CEO of the Center for American Progress.

"AmeriCorps and the nation's state service commissions connect service to careers, provide hands-on experience, skill development, and pathways to meaningful work. We applaud Senator Kelly's leadership in introducing the Make AI Work for Americans Act and his recognition of the National Service for America's Future program to expand paid service opportunities that lead to credentials, careers, and durable skills. As technology reshapes the workplace, national service can play an important role in preparing workers and strengthening communities. State service commissions stand ready to help turn this vision into opportunities that meet local workforce needs across the country," said John Kelly, CEO, America's Service Commissions.

"Ensuring that AI brings broad-based benefits is the defining challenge of our era. That task starts in the labor market, where we must make sure AI complements workers rather than simply displacing them, and creates pathways to better, well-paid careers. Senator Kelly's Make AI Work for Americans Act is a major step in this direction: it encourages the development and deployment of pro-worker AI; improves worker training; and strengthens the safety net so that nobody falls through the cracks," said Daron Acemoglu, Institute Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

"The biggest economic question of our era is whether we use AI merely to replace people or to expand their capabilities to do new things, creating more widely shared prosperity. Senator Kelly's Make AI Work for Americans Act shapes that choice in the right direction: investing in workers, boosting entrepreneurship, modernizing the safety net, and exploring new approaches such as wage insurance. I'm delighted to support this thoughtful legislation," said Erik Brynjolfsson, Director, Stanford Digital Economy Lab.

See what stakeholders are saying about Make AI Work for Americans Act here.

Background:

The Make AI Work for Americans Act establishes the AI Horizon Fund, a dedicated federal trust fund to support American workers. The leading companies who benefit most from the development and uptake of AI will contribute to the Fund through three taxes on excess profits, digital ad services, and AI usage. The Fund is overseen by a 15-member Artificial Intelligence Advisory Council, whose members will include AI experts and, representatives from labor, higher education, and workforce development.

The AI Horizon Fund's primary purpose is to serve workers throughout different stages of their careers, from first-time jobseekers to individuals with decades of experience. The legislation will support workers by investing Fund dollars to:

• Expand existing workforce development, education, research, economic development, and labor market programs.
• Establish a new National Service for America's Future program to create paid service-to-career opportunities to help workers earn a credential, certification, or engage in a registered apprenticeship while serving their community.
• Expand opportunities for people to start their own small businesses by providing resources for entrepreneurship training, technical assistance, and start-up capital.
• Shore up the safety net by increasing the unemployment benefit to make up for 75 percent of workers' wages for 26 weeks.
• Update our workforce development system to give more workers access to training and codify investments in community college partnership training programs, which can more quickly respond to changes in employer need and labor market demand.

The Make AI Work for Americans Act expands on Kelly's ongoing efforts to ensure AI works for all Americans.

Kelly has introduced legislation to strengthen U.S. national security from AI-related threats, such as thebipartisan Advanced AI Security Readiness Act to direct the NSA to protect America's AI systems from theft or sabotage by foreign adversaries. Kelly has also worked to ensure AI is used responsibly in the military, introducing two bills this year to preserve human judgment and accountability as AI is integrated into the military, which were both included in the Senate's National Defense Authorization Act for 2027.

Kelly has pushed to support workers as AI reshapes the economy, introducing the AI DATA Act this year to improve our understanding of how AI is changing jobs, skills, and the workforce so policymakers and workers can prepare.

Kelly has also worked to protect seniors from the risks of AI, introducing the bipartisan Aging with AI Act to research how AI tools impact older Americans, and the bipartisan Senior Chatbot Protection Act requiring companies to provide clear disclosures and end deceptive design practices for AI chatbots.

Click here to read the full text of the bill, here for a section-by-section, and here for a one-pager.