Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Sunday that people "should be marching in the streets" to demand changes to "antiquated" education systems that aren't preparing students to be competitive in the job market against the robots of the future.
"The looming challenge of automation and artificial intelligence and the rapid advancement of technology brings great benefits but also creates huge challenges," Bush told radio host John Catsimatidis on AM 970 in New York.
The threat of a number of jobs being lost to automation is "real," he said. "This is not something that's science fiction. This is happening as we speak. And yet we still have this big skills gap."
Several studies in recent years show jobs at risk of being lost to robots as a real challenge for the labor market moving forward. A report from PricewaterhouseCoopers last month says up to 38 percent of jobs in the U.S. are "susceptible" to automation and artificial intelligence by the early 2030s.
The solution, Bush said, is in education and job training so that people can obtain the skills needed where there are currently job openings and for the jobs of the future. Unfortunately, he said these systems need to be modernized.
"People should be marching in the streets demanding that we change how we educate K-12, higher education, job training," Bush said. "We need life long in skills development so people can live purposeful lives."
Bush said President Trump, his former 2016 GOP primary rival, doesn't need to create a new national policy but rather can lead the conversation by creating a "national consensus" that can guide state education standards.
While Bush complimented Trump on making some "good" presidential appointments, he noted that Americans "have lost a little bit of hope" under the current system and that power should be shifted back to the states.
"We have got to sort out what we stand for," Bush said. "Presidential leadership would be helpful here."