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States are leveraging in hiring platforms in an effort to more efficiently connect job seekers to career opportunities — and ultimately bolster their . AI , and while some , others argue . As such, AI is now a part of the career-matching process in platforms across the nation, from to .
One example is the Michigan Career Portal, hosted by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), which was updated in March to simplify the user experience. The update was based on the continuous feedback it had obtained, including on a shortened sign-on process and increasing the jobs that are available within the feed, MEDC Director of Strategic Talent Initiatives Spencer Lucker said. The portal was first launched in 2023 as part of the state’s “You Can in Michigan” talent attraction campaign, and according to Lucker, Michigan was among the first states to leverage AI in its talent attraction and retention work.
Lucker provided data on the platform’s use through March 31, revealing it has seen more than 33,500 users since launch and has averaged more than 100 users a day in 2025. “One of the things that we have focused on from day one is data quality,” Lucker said. “The value of the AI tool is all dependent on the quality of the data that you put in.
” While the tool’s primary goals are to support existing state talent and attract new workers, insights officials can glean through the platform are a “wonderful bonus,” he said. MEDC’s regional partners have highlighted opportunities for them to use this information in business attraction pitches, to demonstrate demand for roles. This tool is an MEDC project, but the organization’s talent solutions team works with Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity on workforce development strategies to determine how insights from the portal can support their work for Michiganders.
MEDC also works with the governor’s office and the departments of Transportation; Technology, Management and Budget; and Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential. “Our team exists to be collaborative,” Lucker said, noting collaboration may evolve with understanding of the platform’s possible use cases, to empower users with “the full strength of state government.” To address concerns of bias that exist when using AI in hiring, Lucker emphasized that the portal does not connect into talent acquisition systems.
Instead, it acts as a hub to direct users to appropriate resources or employers. The AI tool focuses on skills and geography, he said. Because the platform focuses on , Lucker argued that .
Moving forward, MEDC aims to increase the number of jobs available within the feed to give a more complete picture of the career opportunity landscape in the state, Lucker said. He underlined the ability of MEDC to pivot as that landscape changes by using AI technology, which he said helps MEDC stay ahead of employer partners in some ways. Another example of a workforce platform leveraging AI is Pivot, Indiana’s AI-powered career portal.
Developed by Resultant, it was launched in November 2023 and updated this year. As Indiana Department of Workforce Development Chief of Staff Josh Richardson , the platform is located within the state’s unemployment insurance system to meet users where they already are without creating more work for them: “We’re simply using the information that they’ve already given to us to generate recommendations for them.” In April, the state announced the release of several new features, including integrated training and job listings, a career interest assessment, and an enhanced user interface.
Since its 2023 launch, the platform has helped more than 1,100 unemployment insurance claimants earn a wage increase of $3.98 per hour, according to the announcement. “Helping people navigate to those [high-wage, high-demand] jobs and, hopefully, a more secure economic future for themselves and their families is ultimately the goal,” said Resultant’s Director of Workforce and Economic Development Practice Michael Schmierer, noting that this is achieved for both individuals and state government.
Proving outcomes is an important task today, Schmierer said, indicating this tool allows the state to do just that. He also emphasized its return on investment, not only in greater economic mobility for state residents, but also in the context of income tax. One value of the tool is that it leverages data that only the state has access to, such as insurance records.
The tool was created with an intentional focus on ethical, legal use of data, Schmierer said. To mitigate the risk of bias, he said there is no demographic data in the model. The state also conducted a third-party bias assessment on the model last year, which resulted in several improvements.
The tool impacts workforce planning efforts at the state level by providing information about what the unemployment insurance talent pool looks like. Indiana officials are working with Ivy Tech Community College to share data — with the consent of users — to help enroll them in training opportunities. The collaboration aims to support a proactive, rather than reactive, system of talent upskilling.
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