AI's Impact: How Businesses Are Equipping the Future Workforce

LAS VEGAS -- As a nonprofit operating under a social enterprise model, Goodwill has long sought to use the profits earned from its retail stores and donation centers to help underserved communities find jobs. In the age of AI, the nonprofit sees an immense opportunity.“The core of our focus right now is what does it mean for people, employers in society,” said Steve Preston, president and CEO at Goodwill Industries International, during a session at the Ai4 2026 conference.While AI has apparently already displaced jobs, with tech companies including Block, Oracle and Amazon blaming AI for their layoffs, larger enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses are exploring how to use the technology in ways that benefit their employees and society. This is mainly because the question of how AI will affect jobs and businesses is one that businesses cannot shy away from.Goodwill’s GoalNonprofit businesses like Goodwill and organizations in other sectors, such as healthcare and even the trades, can use AI technology to help job seekers find positions that need staffing. For example, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the healthcare industry is projected to have nearly 2 million job openings over the next few years. And about 600,000 jobs in certain trades are currently unfilled.Related:Alibaba Unveils Its ‘Most Powerful’ AI Model Yet“Many of those open jobs that are really good jobs for many people we serve are going to be enabled with AI tools,” Preston said in an interview.While Preston did not cite specific tools, he said Goodwill is not interested in filling specific AI-related roles but in training job seekers in foundational AI skills, such as understanding how AI models work and how to use tools for tasks such as financial analysis.He added, though, that while AI technology will help reskill some of those in need of jobs, it will also likely lead to job loss for workers in customer service or other highly automatable functions.The Job GapHowever, not only is AI leading to job losses in some sectors, but it's also creating a gap in the workforce, with entry-level job seekers unable to find employment because AI is filling those roles. For example, after the release of the Anthropic Cowork plugin, the legal information services industry experienced panic upon realizing that the AI tool could perform many of the duties a junior lawyer could.“It’s complex, and it involves a lot of players,” Bob Wollheim, partner at IT services company CI & T, said in an interview. He said that while some businesses are willing to do what is necessary to fill the gap and support the education and training of entry-level workers, a new approach is needed.Related:Prompt: Enterprises Grapple With Cost of AI Scale“There is an opportunity for younger professions,” Wollheim said. “But [businesses] need to act differently with them than in the past.”CI & T created an entry-level AI program for young professionals.“They come fresh,” Wollheim said. “They don’t know how software used to be done, and they learn with us, but in a completely different way.”“Companies will need to create programs understanding that,” he continued. “Educational institutions will need to change and prepare people better. Nonprofits will also need to support people in getting literacy about AI because otherwise we’ll have a huge gap.”He added that one huge problem with the skill gap is the speed at which the technology is advancing. However, that will likely create more opportunities for business owners or people interested in starting new types of businesses, he said.“There will be more space for entrepreneurship, more space for individuals,” Wollheim said.What Businesses Can DoNevertheless, businesses need to be transparent about how they’re dealing with the effects of AI on jobs.“I applaud CEOs who are trying to find ways to complement their workers with AI,” Andrew Yang, former presidential candidate and founder and CEO of Noble Mobile, said in an interview. Noble Mobile focuses on combating phone addiction. “I’d just like them to be forthright about what they’re seeing and doing within their business.”Related:OpenAI Cuts Model Prices Amid Enterprises’ Concerns About AI SpendHe added that sometimes businesses veil their concern about the effects of AI.“I get it,” Yang continued. “When you’re a business leader … there’s a very strong bias toward positivity.”About the AuthorNews Writer, AI BusinessEsther Shittu has covered AI technologies and industry trends since 2021. As co-host of the Targeting AI podcast, she talks with experts, thought leaders and practitioners exploring critical AI developments. Before AI Business, she wrote for SearchEnterpriseAI, the New York Daily News, Bklyner and the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. When she's not diving deep into the world of AI, she spends her time on passion projects and raising her three daughters.