Research · Georgetown CSET
This blog examines the strengths and weaknesses of prevailing approaches and introduces CSET’s new definition of AI development jobs
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The AI workforce is an unavoidable subject in any comprehensive discussion about AI strategy.
Key facts
- Built on a dataset of 448 million job postings from Lightcast between 2010 to 2024, the model incorporates information from job titles, job duties and responsibilities sections, and the specialized
- Yet despite the central role of this workforce in AI competition, the terms “AI workforce” or “AI job” can mean different things in different contexts
- Occupation-based approaches define the AI workforce by selecting specific occupational codes, typically within federal classification systems such as the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC)
- This blog examines the strengths and weaknesses of prevailing approaches and introduces CSET’s new definition of AI development jobs as a narrower, policy-relevant alternative
Summary
Who counts as part of the AI workforce? This blog introduces CSET’s new approach to defining the AI workforce: they defineAI development jobs as roles that directly contribute to technical development of AI systems. Precise AI workforce data is critical for developing effective policy. Clarity is especially important right now because the term “AI” is increasingly used as a catch-all.