The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing entitled, “Building an AI-Ready America: Safer Workplaces Through Smarter Technology,” examining how AI and advanced technologies are being deployed to prevent injuries and modernize safety practices in construction, transportation, warehousing, and other high-risk sectors. Republicans emphasized that AI-powered tools—such as wearable sensors, computer vision, and predictive analytics—are helping shift safety management from reactive enforcement to proactive, data-driven prevention, while underscoring the need for human oversight and balanced policy. Democrats acknowledged AI’s potential to improve safety but cautioned that automation and algorithmic management can intensify surveillance, increase work pace, and weaken worker protections without clear guardrails and enforcement capacity.
Jeff Buczkiewicz, CEO of the Mason Contractors Association of America, testified that the construction trades are developing purpose-built AI tools tailored to real-world jobsite risks, including systems that evaluate wall bracing to prevent collapses, monitor personal protective equipment (PPE) in real time, integrate LiDAR scanning to assess performance, and deploy virtual reality forklift simulations to allow workers to learn from mistakes without physical harm. He argued that responsible adoption can extend careers, boost productivity, and help offset looming workforce retirements—without replacing workers.
Johan Land of Samsara highlighted measurable safety gains from AI-enabled fleet systems, including reductions in crashes and distracted driving, while Eric Hoplin of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors described warehouse applications such as computer vision and predictive “digital twin” systems to anticipate equipment failures, cautioning against fragmented regulatory approaches. Former OSHA Assistant Secretary Douglas Parker, representing the National Employment Law Project, supported AI adoption grounded in established safety principles and urged Congress to strengthen agency capacity to oversee emerging technologies.