Apple and IBM CEOs join Trump’s advisory board to make sure AI doesn’t kill jobs

Two prominent tech leaders are joining President Donald Trump’s advisory board to direct the future of workforce policy, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced Wednesday.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty are among the 25 members appointed to the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board, which will work “to develop and implement a strategy to revamp the American workforce to better meet the challenges of the 21st century,” according to the announcement. The board will be co-chaired by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and the president’s daughter and advisor Ivanka Trump.

The board is part of a government initiative to help bridge the skills gap that is widening in the modern economy due in part to the rise of automation and the increasing need for high-tech skills as artificial intelligence gains the potential to replace more jobs. The board is charged with several tasks to help bridge the skills gap that will bring the country up to speed with advancing technology. Members will work on a national campaign to promote education and training, recommend ways to provide more relevant labor market data and come up strategies to foster efficient private sector investments in education.

To implement their strategies, members of the board will work with the National Council for the American Worker, which was established through executive order by Trump. Beyond tech CEOs, leaders in education, retail and government were also appointed to the board.

In a statement sent through a spokesperson, Rometty said, “Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence will change the way every job is done. I look forward to finding new ways for all Americans to participate in this digital era by building the job skills that are already in demand in our economy.”

Apple did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

Here is the full list of board members:

Jay Box, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System

Walter Bumphus, President & CEO, American Association of Community Colleges

Jim Clark, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Tim Cook, CEO, Apple

Tom Donohue, CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Juanita Duggan, President & CEO, National Federation for Independent Business

Elizabeth Goettl, President & CEO, Cristo Rey Network

Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President, & CEO, Lockheed Martin

Eric Holcomb, Governor, Indiana

Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA

Al Kelly, CEO, Visa

Vi Lyles, Mayor, Charlotte, North Carolina

Bill McDermott, CEO, SAP America

Sean McGarvey, President, North America’s Building and Trades Unions

Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart

Craig Menear, Chairman, President, & CEO, Home Depot

Michael Piwowar, Executive Director, Milken Institute

Scott Pulsipher, President, Western Governors University

Kim Reynolds, Governor, Iowa

Ginni Rometty, Chairman, President, & CEO, IBM

Scott Sanders, Executive Director, National Association of State Workforce Agencies

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President & CEO, Society for Human Resource Management

Jay Timmons, President & CEO, National Association of Manufacturers

Sheree Utash, President, WSU Tech

Marianne Wanamaker, Professor, University of Tennessee

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