Digital Download: Who Pays for AI’s Future?

By Delegate Cliff Hayes Jr.

Artificial Intelligence is not a futuristic concept.  It is woven into our daily lives, from healthcare to education to the way businesses operate. With that promise comes a cost: retraining workers, protecting privacy, and ensuring every community has fair access to this technology. The question is, who should pay?

History offers useful lessons. When railroads spread across America, companies were required to help fund safety measures and community adjustments. As automobiles reshaped society, fuel taxes financed the construction and maintenance of our roads. Even today, our phone and internet bills include small fees that support 911 services, rural broadband, and school connectivity. Each example reflects a principle: when industries disrupt society, they must help fund the adaptation.

AI companies are generating enormous profits, but the benefits aren’t evenly shared. Workers in traditional industries face disruption, schools need resources to prepare the next generation, and governments must strengthen oversight to keep AI safe and fair. Senator Mark Kelly has rightly argued that companies building AI should pay their share to meet these needs.

A possible model is the Universal Service Fund in telecommunications, where companies contribute to ensure nationwide access. An “AI Service Fund” could finance worker upskilling, digital equity initiatives, and independent oversight. This would ensure that as AI drives innovation, it also supports the communities most affected by its rapid growth.

Progress comes with costs. But if history teaches us anything, it is that innovation works best when industry leaders, not just taxpayers, contribute to the broader good. As AI reshapes our world, fairness demands that those who profit the most invest in ensuring no one is left behind.

Would you like me to also create a one-sentence pull quote you can highlight in the column for emphasis on fairness?