What will jobs look like in the future? Northern Kentucky’s economic and political leaders are asking themselves this question.
Artificial intelligence and automation are rapidly integrating into the local economy, with workers in white—and blue-collar fields increasingly incorporating the technology into their daily work schedules.
In 2023, consulting firm McKinsey & Company published a report finding that 55% of organizations surveyed have implemented AI in at least one business unit or function. In 2017, only 20% of surveyed organizations implemented AI—a 35% increase over seven years.
This rapid pace of AI adoption isn’t lost on the region’s leaders. BE NKY Growth Partnership, Northern Kentucky’s primary economic growth organization, hosted its annual forum on Feb. 6, where AI was among the most discussed topics.
“Let us not be afraid or hide from the obligations to adapt, to change, compete and make investments so that my children, your children, and our grandchildren can live in a prosperous Northern Kentucky too,” said Christine Russell, VP of strategy for BE NKY.
Economic commentator Kyla Scanlon, the forum’s keynote speaker, believes people in Northern Kentucky — and across the United States — are experiencing two different economics: the data economy and the lived economy.
Scanlon describes the data economy as the macroeconomic trends people observe on the news, such as Gross Domestic Product growth or stock market growth. Scanlon said public officials and media members may talk about the national economy and these metrics in a favorable light. However, people’s lived experiences can often differ from the data.
She refers to this as the lived economy, or how people tangibly experience the economy daily. This manifests itself in factors like the cost of goods and services and housing costs—all of which can impact someone’s quality of life.
“We really have this crisis of reality going on where we got sort of traditional economic data telling one side of the story, inflation is going down or was seems to be, right now, we have a relatively strong labor market, but it’s tough for new college grads to find jobs nationally,” Scanlon said. “Then we have lived experiences which can sometimes differ from what the economic data is telling us.”
Locally, Scanlon said the data economy is trending in a positive direction. Northern Kentucky’s manufacturing and logistics sectors grew over 2024. BE NKY’s annual report found that advanced manufacturing accounted for 67% of Northern Kentucky’s new projects, 46% of jobs created and 45% of capital investment.
Despite this, the lived economy shows that there are still challenges to overcome. Scanlon said some workers are facing replacement anxiety as automation spreads, while others lack access to the proper training for a transition into higher-paying roles.
“The challenge is to bridge that gap, to make sure that nobody’s really left behind as all of this happens,” Scanlon said. “To ensure that technological progress creates opportunities for everybody, not just those that are positioned to build or to put employment.”
From Scanlon’s perspective, the good news is that Northern Kentucky leaders are making the right investments to adapt to the ongoing economic changes. She cited Northern Kentucky University and Gateway Community & Technical College’s investments in AI-based curricula and programs. Specifically, in April 2024, NKU launched an AI minor that teaches students how the technology is used and the ethics surrounding it.
“Northern Kentucky’s educational infrastructure isn’t just adapting to change; it does seem to be anticipating it,” Scanlon said. “It’s not just about the old models of workforce development. It’s not just teaching very, very specific skills. It’s teaching skills in a very adaptable way.”
Scanlon suggested that as AI and automation become more entrenched in regional workplaces, more employers will seek out workers for new emerging that require skills that may not have been in demand a decade ago.
“Warehouse workers could become automation supervisors,” she said. “Factory line workers could become AI-assisted technicians, making sure that AI is doing the job properly.”
