U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly says Congress must protect workers as AI threatens jobs

PHOENIX — U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly says Congress needs to put people first as more Americans worry about losing jobs to artificial intelligence.

“People are concerned as they drive to work. ‘Is this the day I’m going to hear that AI has replaced me in my job?'” Kelly said during a Wednesday speech at the Semafor World Economy 2026 summit.

He said it’s up to legislators to ensure Americans can keep their jobs as AI tools threaten to replace them.

“How do we guide this, put the guardrails in place to get to the right outcome … that millions of people do not lose their jobs, and if they do, that we provide resources so that they can be retrained for existing jobs or jobs of the future?” Kelly said.

Mark Kelly’s AI for America plan addresses the issue

It’s an issue that’s been on his mind for a while — and he’s taking action to solve it.

Last year, Mark Kelly introduced his “AI for America” roadmap, which aims to make AI companies more accountable. The plan would create a fund, supported by tech and AI‑driven businesses, to train workers and expand infrastructure for growing power and water needs.

“It can’t be on just the taxpayers paying for this. These companies, in time, are going to make a tremendous amount of money. They should use some of those resources, and we should do this as a team,” Kelly said.

Kelly also recently introduced a bill that encourages AI companies and local communities to work together.

He said communities that reach agreements with these companies would get faster permitting and receive technical and legal help from the federal government, along with priority for certain grants.

At the same time, Kelly said he doesn’t want communities to feel pressured to accept data centers they don’t want, and he sees this bill as a way to create benefits for both sides.

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