One of the big themes at the Western Governors’ Association conference in Santa Fe, NM this week is artificial intelligence. Top federal officials spoke about the Trump administration’s vision for the future of AI and its role in the U.S.’s position as a world leader.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the technology is going to change the world in many ways from solving chronic diseases, to reducing healthcare costs, and changing the way we do business, manage public lands or improve education.
“Artificial intelligence is coming faster and more significantly, [it’s] going to change every job, every company, and every industry,” Burgum said during the opening keynote address this week.
He continued, “It would be impossible for me to overhype this in any possible way, and I would just encourage everybody to try to increase your AI IQ about how it's going to affect you, your family, your job, and how it's going to make and change the world in so many ways.”
Burgum said the technology will not cost programming jobs but will allow programmers to manage systems that are faster and impact every aspect of American business.
“They can all have a job, but then instead of working on the grunt work on the bottom end of the software pyramid coming out of college, you could be administering 10 or 100 AI programmers,” Burgum said.
“So, all of a sudden now, we not only have solved the workforce shortage, we've increased productivity,” he continued. “Software is embedded in every product that you own, your phone, your car, your home, your power, these systems that we're all dealing with here.”
Lee Zeldin, who leads the Environmental Protection Agency, is dedicated to helping make America “the A-I capital of the world.” In collaboration with the Department of Energy and the Department of Interior, the EPA supports building the physical A-I infrastructure by approving land, air, and water permits.
“EPA is involved in the permitting process for air permits, for water permits, and more,” he said. “I would say that if we don't lean into AI, that other nations like China will eat our lunch. They will continue to pursue advancements and we will be behind. We cannot afford to lose this race.”
Other agency chiefs are looking to prepare Americans for A-I, including the Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer.
“It's [AI] not going away, and so we have to make sure that the future workforce understands that as well,” Chavez-DeRemer said.
She continued, “By working with our colleagues in Congress on legislation, on policy, giving them (young people) technical assistance, and then working with the governors about what they do need on the ground.”
In April, President Trump signed an executive order to allow agencies more use of AI in their daily operations.
