NAW CEO Testifies to Congress on How AI Can Strengthen Workplace Safety

As Congress considers artificial intelligence (AI) policy and regulation, Eric Hoplin, president and CEO of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW), is urging lawmakers to pursue a streamlined federal approach that protects innovation while ensuring responsible deployment.

Hoplin testified before the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Subcommittee on Workforce Protections on Feb. 11. During the hearing, titled Building an AI-Ready America: Safer Workplaces Through Smarter Technology, he outlined how distributors are responsibly deploying artificial intelligence and automation-assisted technologies to enhance workplace safety across their facilities.

“When AI and automation-assisted technologies are utilized responsibly, they can make workplaces safer,” Hoplin said. “New and emerging technologies enable employers to detect potential hazards in real time, allowing companies to focus on preventive and proactive measures rather than responding after an incident occurs. Although still in the early stages, employers are evaluating ways they can deploy this technology to enhance both safety and operational efficiency.”

A video of Hoplin’s testimony is available here. NAW also released a transcript of Hoplin’s comments here.

In December, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the development of a minimally burdensome national AI regulatory framework. The order additionally limits states from passing AI regulations in an attempt to prevent the creation of a complex patchwork of state-level rules that slow the development of AI technologies and solutions.