05/26/2026
Last Tuesday night, DC’s business community showed up — and so did the District. 🙌
The AIVA Public Listening Session at West End Neighborhood Library brought together business owners, District leaders, and researchers shaping DC’s AI future.
💡 The through-line of the whole evening: public deliberation on AI isn’t a nice-to-have — it’s part of what determines whether the technology lands well or badly.
A few moments that defined the night:
📊 DC ranks #1 in America for AI job exposure — more than 55% of jobs could be reshaped by AI.
🗣️ When employees have a say in AI adoption, productivity goes up and resistance goes down. Inclusion isn’t just good values — it’s good strategy.
🧠 58% of the most in-demand skills over the next decade are non-technical — communication, critical thinking, social intelligence. Soft skills are the durable skills.
👩💻 Technical skills now have a shelf life of just 2.5 to 5 years. AI literacy matters, but knowing how to work with people may matter more.
🚦 You don’t need a full governance policy to get started with AI — you need a traffic light.
🔴 Red = legally off-limits
🟡 Yellow = proceed carefully
🟢 Green = go
⚖️ “Interruption” is a more honest word than “job loss.” DC’s AI Values under Mayor’s Order 2024-028 put “Clear Benefit to the People” first — and agencies must align before deploying any AI tool.
🚀 With national AI policy in flux, DC has been one of the few jurisdictions actively building this infrastructure — and Tuesday night was a reminder of why it matters.
The conversation on workforce & AI should continue. What are your thoughts? What questions do you have? 👇
ArtificialIntelligence WorkforceDevelopment DataPrivacy FutureOfWork DCGov TechPolicy AIStrategy SmallBusiness PublicSector AILiteracy DigitalEquity
