From AI Innovation to Economic Mobility: Reflections from GAINS 2.0

By Laura Walling, Vice President of Government Affairs, Goodwill Industries International, Inc.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly moving from something we talk about to something we use. For Goodwill advocates, that raises an important question: How do we make sure AI expands economic opportunity rather than creating another divide?

That question was central to the Goodwill AI Networking Summit (GAINS 2.0), hosted by Goodwill Keystone Area in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The summit brought together Goodwill leaders, nonprofit partners, public officials and technology experts to explore practical, ethical and accessible uses of AI.

What distinguished GAINS was the blend of hands-on learning and big-picture thinking.

Participants worked directly with tools and approaches through sessions led by Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic, exploring applications ranging from workforce development and advocacy to organizational operations.

But GAINS wasn’t simply about learning to write a better prompt. The agenda also tackled larger questions about AI’s effect on the labor market, the future of work and how people and organizations should prepare for continued technological change.

For Goodwill, the conversation ultimately comes back to people.

As AI changes jobs and the skills employers value, we must ask: Who has access to these tools? Who receives the training to use them? And who benefits from the opportunities they create?

Those questions were reflected throughout GAINS, including a discussion focused specifically on AI and economic mobility and sessions examining how AI can support workforce development while keeping people at the center.

For advocates, the takeaway is clear: preparing for an AI-enabled economy requires more than technology. We need policies and partnerships that expand AI literacy and digital skills, invest in workers as jobs evolve, strengthen earn-and-learn pathways, and leverage trusted community-based organizations to connect people with opportunity.

Goodwill has an important role to play. Across the country, Goodwill organizations already help people build skills, navigate career transitions and connect to employment. As technology changes work, that mission becomes even more important.

GAINS demonstrated what the next chapter can look like: hands on keyboards, honest conversations about the future, and a commitment to ensuring that innovation leads to greater economic mobility.

AI will continue to evolve. Our job as advocates is to help ensure people have the skills, access and opportunity to move forward with it.