AI is advancing faster than policy—and that’s an opportunity, not a threat. States that move first can lead the next era of innovation, equity, and economic growth.

The future of work isn’t coming—it’s here. And it’s being shaped by AI, faster than most realize.

When America set out to land on the Moon, it wasn’t just about exploration. It was about uniting public and private efforts around an audacious goal, proving that when we aim high, we can achieve the spectacular. The Apollo program didn’t just deliver a lunar landing. It gave us technologies that improved daily life on Earth—things like freeze-drying for food, fire-resistant textiles, and clean water systems.

Today, we face another moment like that. This time, the mission is artificial intelligence.

Washington Set the Stage; It’s Now Up to Us

In July 2025, Washington released Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan. For the first time, AI was framed as a true national priority—an initiative that demands coordination across government, business, and education.

But just like the Moonshot, Washington can only set the stage. The real question is what states, cities, schools, and employers will do with the momentum.

The Great Equalizer—If We Choose It

“Winning the race” is not about beating others. It’s about ensuring that AI becomes the great equalizer—the technology that expands access to knowledge, tools, and pathways to prosperity.

Handled well, AI can provide opportunities for more people to succeed, not fewer. But that outcome is not automatic. Just as Apollo’s breakthroughs benefited the entire world, today’s AI mission has the potential to reshape not only the U.S. economy but also global progress. The choice lies in whether we act with purpose.

The AI Action Plan in Plain English

Washington’s Action Plan outlined four key pillars:

1. Accelerate Innovation — streamline experimentation and reduce barriers to testing.
2. Build AI Infrastructure — invest in data centers, semiconductors, and energy systems.
3. Lead Globally — establish the American AI stack as the worldwide standard for interoperability and trust.
4. Develop an AI-Ready Workforce — invest in skills, training, and rapid pathways to prepare workers for AI-shaped roles.

Read the full Action Plan here ➝

The Engine: Building an AI-Ready Workforce

The Plan calls this a “once-in-a-generation chance to build an AI-ready workforce.”

That means one thing above all: learning to be AI-augmented. It’s not just about coders or data scientists. Every worker, educator, and public servant will need to understand how to use AI effectively. Training an AI-augmented workforce is the surest way to ensure people thrive in the AI economy.As NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang put it: “AI will not take your job. A person using AI will.”

Playbook: Turning Policy Into Local Prosperity

Here’s how local leaders can start turning national policy into everyday opportunity:

1. Launch an AI Innovation Hub
   Create spaces where students, small businesses, and public agencies can experiment with AI tools and projects safely.
2. Build AI-Augmented Literacy Tracks
   Provide training for educators, staff, and job-seekers so they not only use AI but can also help build an AI-augmented workforce.
3. Stand Up Real-World Sandboxes
   Pilot AI in city services, schools, healthcare, and logistics—learn by doing.
4. Expand Access to Tools
   Negotiate partnerships for access to LLMs, APIs, and no-/low-code platforms so communities can get hands-on experience.
5. Create Pathways to Paychecks
   Develop apprenticeships and micro-credentials that prepare workers for jobs in AI infrastructure (like data centers and chips) and AI-enabled roles across industries.
6. Measure and Share Impact
   Track outcomes like learners trained, productivity gains, and wage growth—showing the tangible benefits of becoming AI-augmented.

The Time to Act Is Now

Apollo proved that when America takes on a bold mission, the benefits ripple across the world. AI is today’s mission, and Washington has set the stage with its national Action Plan.

Now it’s up to local leaders, educators, and employers to seize this moment and turn it into a real opportunity. The stakes are clear: build an AI-ready workforce and communities will thrive; ignore it and risk being left behind.

Organizations like Hopeworks are already showing what’s possible—helping young adults become AI-augmented contributors and proving that this future is within reach.

AI is already reshaping work. Let’s make sure it also reshapes opportunity—by acting now to create pathways, skills, and systems that ensure this Moonshot benefits every community.

 Let’s not repeat the mistakes of the digital divide. With the right focus on education, access, and experimentation, we can make AI the great equalizer—not the next barrier.

Authored by Dave Taddei, Director of AI Innovation and AI Services, Hopeworks