As artificial intelligence becomes more common in our workplaces, too many Missouri families are being left in the dark about the real cost. Thousands of American jobs are already being eliminated because companies claim AI can do the work more cheaply — but there’s no official record of just how many lives and livelihoods are being affected.

That needs to change.

Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) have come together across party lines to introduce the AI-Related Jobs Impacts Clarity Act, a bipartisan bill that would require employers to report layoffs caused by AI to the Department of Labor. This data would then be made available to the public and Congress so we can understand the truth: Who’s being laid off, where, and why?

Without this information, we’re flying blind into a future that could radically reshape our economy. Experts — including those at Washington University in St. Louis — are warning that we may soon face a “great AI replacement,” with millions of jobs at risk. And while some reports claim new jobs may be created by AI, that doesn’t help workers today who are being let go with no backup plan and no voice.

Missourians deserve transparency. Workers deserve protection. And our lawmakers need the facts to craft policies that ensure AI works for people, not just profits.

This isn’t about stopping innovation. It’s about making sure progress doesn’t leave us behind.

We call on Congress to pass the AI-Related Jobs Impacts Clarity Act immediately — and we urge Missouri’s full congressional delegation to join Senator Hawley in supporting it. If AI is going to change everything, we have the right to know how.

Photo: Mark Felix/AFP/Getty Images