Will the AI Economy Have a Middle Class? The Case for an AI Homestead Policy

(Navin Girishankar – Center for Strategic & International Studies) AI is beginning to split the U.S. economy. On one end, the data center buildout is generating strong demand for skilled trades, such as electricians, HVAC technicians, and construction managers, not seen in years. On the other end, elite AI research and engineering jobs command salaries in the high six- and even seven-figure range. The pressure point lies in the sizable middle: paralegals, insurance adjusters, customer support specialists, and other mid-level cognitive workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) counts roughly 20 million Americans in office, administrative, and business operations occupations that Goldman Sachs identifies as facing the highest AI automation exposure—35 to 46 percent of their tasks technically automatable today, though how quickly that translates into job losses remains uncertain. – Will the AI Economy Have a Middle Class? The Case for an AI Homestead Policy