Black learners and workers are emerging as early adopters and power users of artificial intelligence, yet need increased access to training, more time to experiment, and stronger social networks to fully capitalize on AI’s economic potential, according to new research from Jobs for the Future.
The Big Idea: The findings, based on a nationally-representative survey of almost 2,800 Americans, including 529 Black respondents, paint a complex picture of a demographic group that’s not just keeping pace with AI adoption but in many ways leading it. This appears driven, in part, by heavy engagement with social media and app-based technologies, and perhaps by the fact that a disproporionate number of Black workers say AI is already impacting their jobs.
The data is striking:
- Among Black survey respondents, 83% say they are familiar with AI, and more than half use AI tools daily or weekly—significantly outpacing the 39% average across all demographic groups.
- Two-thirds of Black respondents say AI is already impacting their jobs, compared to 57% overall.
- And the vast majority expect future impacts, with 71% of Black workers and learners feeling the need to develop new skills as a result, versus 53% of respondents overall.
This complicates the narrative around AI adoption, which is often painted as a phenomenon mostly happening in a tech industry dominated by white and Asian men. Two-thirds of Black workers say AI has changed the skills they need on the job, with significant percentages saying that the need for problem-solving, adaptability, and creativity have increased. And many are adopting AI on their own for learning and entrepreneurial projects.
Andrea Juncos, a senior director for population strategies at JFF, and Tiffany Hsieh, director of innovation strategies at JFF Labs, said several of the experts they spoke to noted that the findings are consistent with a track record of “creativity and ingenuity of Black communities—at times out of necessity, based on having limited access to resources.”
Black workers and learners in general were optimistic about AI’s potential impacts, but Black women were far less so.
Surveys have consistently found that women in general are less likely to use AI and are more skeptical of its impacts—and they may be particularly vulnerable to its downsides. Research by the Brookings Institution, for example, has shown that women disproportionately hold the kinds of entry-level business and office administrative jobs that are most likely to be automated away or dramatically reshaped.
At this stage though, Black women were less likely than men to say AI is changing their jobs, though 60% were seeing an impact.
Obstacles to AI and Career Growth
A lack of time, high costs, and limited access to tools are the top obstacles keeping Black workers and students from learning more about AI—in line with the overall population. And workers of all kinds are far more likely to be using AI on their own initiative at work than they are under the direction of their employer.
Ensuring that all workers get exposure and training now is critical, the report notes, as we move toward an “agentic era,” in which people will increasingly work alongside AI systems.
On the Ground: Community-based organizations are helping to fill the gap. Programs like Hack the Future, run by the nonprofit SeedAI, and initiatives like those led by Black Tech Street in Tulsa are bringing AI training directly to underserved neighborhoods. These efforts are vital, Taylor Shead, founder of the education tech firm Stemuli, told JFF researchers. And she believes an AI curriculum should be integrated throughout K-12 education.
“Equity and access mean meeting people where they are—going to the systems Black learners and workers are in,” she said
AI Skills: The experts JFF interviewed agreed that training must start early and cover a range of skills, from AI fundamentals to advanced concepts like machine learning. They also stressed the need for education that includes working with AI “agents”—autonomous tools that could soon compete for jobs alongside human workers.
“Our folks understand that in the future, your battle for a job may also include agents applying for the same position,” Stefan Youngblood, founder of the Black AI Think Tank, told the researchers.
Nearly half of Black respondents said they have already changed or plan to change their careers because of AI’s impact. And more than a third have used AI to get a better job—almost twice the rate of all survey respondents.
Networks Matter: But while AI tools like resume builders and job search bots can help Black workers apply for new roles, experts caution that these automated supports don’t replace the power of human networks. Julia Freeland Fisher, director of education research at the Christensen Institute, warned that AI’s focus on information gaps—rather than network gaps—can leave many Black learners and workers at a disadvantage. “Networks are critical to accessing opportunity,” she said.
JFF’s earlier research backs that up, highlighting how building professional social capital—connections to mentors, alumni, and peers—remains essential in an AI-driven economy. Programs like Protopia and Basta are showing what’s possible: they blend AI tools with real-world coaching and network-building to help first-generation college grads and other underrepresented students land good jobs.
But Fisher and others say more is needed, especially in higher education and workforce training programs that often overlook the social side of career mobility. “If we can get to outcomes-based funding where you’re actually on the hook for your graduates getting a job, then suddenly social capital development will click into place,” she said.
The JFF report recommends weaving AI education throughout K-12 and beyond, investing in community-based training, and expanding employer-provided learning opportunities. And it calls for doubling down on strategies to build human networks alongside digital tools.
