A new survey of American workers, business leaders, and the broader public reveals near-universal agreement on the action needed for sustainable success in the AI era
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / May 4, 2026 / At a moment of deep political division, a new survey from the Milken Institute-Harris Poll Listening Project shows there is something Americans can agree upon: Preparing the U.S. workforce for AI should transcend partisan lines. The same research, released today at the Milken Institute Global Conference, finds a widening gap between what business leaders say about AI readiness and what their companies are actually doing about it-with a strong majority of business leaders personally supporting measures, while a small minority of companies are actively implementing policies. The report, Bridging the Technology Advancement Gap: A New Consensus for the AI Era, signals that businesses feel they can't go it alone and believe that government and corporations together must act now for long-term success.
Historic Consensus Across All Demographics for AI Workforce Readiness
At a moment of deep political division, AI workforce readiness has quietly become a strongly bipartisan issue in America. The survey found that 83 percent of Americans (82 percent of Republicans, 83 percent of Independents, and 85 percent of Democrats) agree that AI workforce readiness should transcend partisan politics. Ninety percent of business leaders agree.
Additionally, majorities of both workers and business leaders support a variety of protection measures, including mandatory AI workforce impact assessments, advance notice requirements before AI-related workforce changes, and government-funded community college training and reskilling.
"Business leaders and workers across America agree: Action on AI workforce policy needs to come now, before disruption arrives-not after," said John Gerzema, CEO, The Harris Poll. "This issue crosses the political divide in ways we haven't seen in a long time, and now is the time for coordinated policy infrastructure to close the gap."
The Technology Advancement Gap
Despite this consensus, a major disconnect persists between how business leaders and workers feel about the AI workforce transition. Most business leaders see an AI-enabled economy as an opportunity-including 87 percent who call AI workforce readiness a top-3 business priority. However, 85 percent of business leaders admit to feeling pressure to appear further along than they actually are, with nearly as many agreeing that "most companies in their industry would be caught 'AI-washing' if investigated.
This say-do gap leaves workers feeling like they are navigating the transition on their own, and 41 percent of workers saying they have received zero employer AI support in the past year. Yet, workers haven't given up hope, with 69 percent believing AI can create more opportunities than it eliminates with the right approach- underscoring the opportunity for bipartisan policy in AI workforce readiness.
Leaders Are Eager for Coordinated National Solutions
While there is a strong consensus for action on AI workforce challenges, questions remain around what should be done. Significantly, 88 percent of business leaders agree individual companies cannot solve for AI workforce readiness alone; a coordinated national response is required.
"Employers agree there needs to be guardrails in the AI transition but have concerns about solving it alone," said Dan Carol, managing director, Milken Institute Finance. "Business leaders are trapped in a cycle between short-term financial pressures and long-term workforce investment. Our team is developing policy responses for governments, businesses, and communities experiencing fiscal and technological change to accelerate coordinated solutions vital to long-term shared prosperity."
Milken Institute workstreams continue to focus attention on AI workforce readiness, knowing that access, capital, and education in AI and beyond can create real pathways for all on their financial journey. In 2025, the Milken Institute released The Computing Imperative: Building America's Talent Engine in the Age of AI, challenging educators, funders, and industry leaders on what is needed to move beyond incremental reform and reimagine the nation's learning ecosystem in the age of AI. Later this spring, the Institute will also release additional research around free community college programs for upskilling and reskilling adult students.
The full Listening Project report can be found at https://theharrispoll.com/the-listening-project and will be discussed on-stage at the Milken Institute Global Conference. The Harris Poll leaders John Gerzema and Libby Rodney will join the conference discussions. For the full program, visit www.globalconference.org. For updates on the event, follow Milken Institute on LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook using MIGlobal.
Methodology
The report is part of The Milken Institute-Harris Poll Listening Project - now in its seventh year-helping business, government, and community leaders to better anticipate and respond to major geo-economic transformations in the United States and abroad. This year's research focuses on the AI workforce transition, going beyond the skills gap conversation to ask why AI urgency isn't translating into action. This year's study polled 2,001 American adults, including 1,280 American workers, and an additional 502 business leaders (vice president+ level, $2 billion+ revenue companies).+ revenue companies).
About the Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global public opinion, analytics, and market research consultancy that strives to reveal society's authentic values to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. With a global research reach of more than ninety countries, The Harris Poll offers advisory services across sectors to world leaders, CEOs, and business decision-makers with state-of-the-art analytics, real-time software services, and practitioners in marketing, reputation, customer experience, trends, futures, and thought leadership/research-for-public release, The Harris Poll translates shifting social sentiment into a competitive marketplace advantage. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1956, and is now a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) company.
About the Milken Institute
The Milken Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank focused on accelerating measurable progress on the path to a meaningful life. With a focus on financial, physical, mental, and environmental health, we bring together the best ideas and innovative resourcing to develop blueprints for tackling some of our most critical global issues through the lens of what's pressing now and what's coming next.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Libby Rodney
lrodney@harrispoll.com
SOURCE: Stagwell
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https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/business-and-professional-services/new-milken-institute-harris-poll-finds-historic-consensus-on-ai-1163203
