In Episode 4 of the Richmond Next video podcast, host Jennifer Wakefield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership, sits down with Michael Rao, Ph.D., of Virginia Commonwealth University and David Metnick of Accenture to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping the workforce and what Greater Richmond can do to prepare for what comes next.
The conversation explores a central misconception that AI’s primary role could potentially replace human leaders and people’s jobs. Rao argues that AI should instead be viewed as a powerful tool that depends on human judgment, ethics and guidance. The opportunity, he says, is to use the technology to expand what people can accomplish.
Metnick says the AI conversation is also forcing organizations to address modernization efforts that for some have been delayed for years. Simply adding AI to outdated legacy systems and processes is not transformation. Organizations need modern data, redesigned workflows, strong governance and a digital foundation capable of supporting AI at scale.
For VCU, preparing students for that environment has meant moving quickly. Rao says the university created AI minors and curriculum in 2024. Of approximately 4,500 incoming freshmen last year, about 3,000 took AI courses, with ethics of AI proving especially popular. The goal extends beyond teaching students how to use the technology to helping them understand how to manage it responsibly, recognize its limitations and address issues such as security.
Rao and Metnick also discuss how AI intersects with Greater Richmond’s growing life sciences sector, which has committed up to $120 million toward the Virginia Center for Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. This industry-led workforce initiative is designed to connect education and training more directly to industry demand. The podcast guests see opportunities for AI to accelerate research, improve productivity and help move discoveries from the laboratory to the marketplace more quickly.
Ultimately, both point to deeper partnerships between educators and employers as essential to preparing the region’s workforce. That could mean professors spending time inside companies, employers engaging students earlier in their education and businesses helping universities connect classroom learning to real-world applications.
Key takeaways:
- AI should amplify people, not replace them
- AI transformation requires more than new tools
- AI skills are now a part of workforce readiness
- Life sciences could offer a model for industry-driven training
- Employers and educators need to work together earlier
Looking toward 2030, Metnick offers a bold vision for Greater Richmond. He describes a “reinvention region” that scales responsible AI across education, health care and life sciences while delivering measurable results.
Richmond Next is a collaboration between the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Greater Richmond Partnership highlighting the leaders, investments and ideas shaping Greater Richmond’s future.
New episodes drop monthly.
To watch and listen to Episode 4 of the Richmond Next video podcast, please click here.
