‘As powerful as nuclear weapons’ 

At Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s 2026 Economic Forum, a caution on the rapid development of artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence, widely seen as the most consequential technology of the century, may be advancing faster than society can control. 

“How do we regulate and harness a technology that I am telling you is as powerful as nuclear weapons?” economist Marci Rossell asked.  

Rossell was the keynote speaker at the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s 2026 Economic Forum on June 2 at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee. She warned her audience about the potential dangers and consequences of artificial intelligence, arguing in her speech that policymakers need to move quickly to establish barriers before the window of opportunity to shape the impact of AI closes. 

“The question for our society while we still have time, is how are we going to put guard rails around this technology in such a way that it benefits us and doesn’t harm us?” Rossell said.  

A former chief economist for CNBC and former co-host of Squawk Box, Rossell spent much of her presentation discussing rising oil prices, inflation and challenges facing the Federal Reserve. She concluded by turning to AI, which she compared to the Industrial Revolution for its potentially transformational economic effects. 

The Industrial Revolution transformed economies across the world and changed how people worked. The difference, she said, is that today’s changes are unfolding more quickly.  

Rossell challenged the assumption that AI is responsible for slowing job growth among younger workers. Rather, she pointed to research suggesting that employers are still working to adjust to remote work and training new employees in now-virtual workspaces. 

She also recognized that AI is already changing the way companies are operating and may eventually reshape certain professions.  

“If your job is to write emails and do PowerPoints, you probably don’t have a job anymore,” Rossell said. 

Rossell said that the fast pace of AI development is leaving a limited amount of time for policymakers to determine how to manage this technology. 

In her speech, she urged these leaders to start thinking now about how to create safeguards that ensure AI can be harnessed to benefit society, with a limited amount of harm.  

She emphasized that the window to shape the impact of AI will not be open for long.