AI as a Force FOR (Not Against) Economic Mobility: Leveraging Technology to Expand Opportunity

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has sparked widespread concerns about workforce disruption and widening disparities. Yet what if AI itself could be our most powerful tool for expanding economic mobility? This session, with University of Chicago professor Dr. Jens Ludwig and Matt Tower, Editor of the EdSheet, challenges the prevailing narrative by examining how AI can be harnessed to create more equitable outcomes in education, employment, and beyond. Drawing from groundbreaking research, this session will demonstrate how AI can identify and address systemic barriers to opportunity. It will explore concrete examples where AI tools are already expanding access to quality education, improving workforce development, and creating more efficient delivery of social services. Speakers will highlight innovations like the Personalized Learning Initiative, which leverages AI to make high-impact tutoring more accessible and effective for underserved students. Attendees will gain insights into the policy changes and cross-sector partnerships needed to ensure AI becomes a force for reducing — rather than reinforcing — economic disparities.