To leverage AI shake-ups, Arlington emphasizes talent and location | ARLnow.com

Arlington County staff hope to leverage strengths in the county’s location and workforce as advances in AI bring shake-ups to the nature of work.

Despite recent forecasts that AI will lead to corporate layoffs at Amazon in coming years, Ryan Touhill, director of Arlington Economic Development, told ARLnow that he believes the county has the potential to come out on top amid rapid technological changes.

He pointed to Arlington’s highly skilled workforce and proximity to the world’s largest data center market as key advantages that the county plans to emphasize in attracting and supporting large corporations and startups alike.

“While many businesses still require traditional support structures, AI’s influence is reshaping how companies build, scale and hire,” Touhill said. “Arlington’s strong talent pool, industry base and connectivity to federal markets position it to attract both established firms integrating AI and new AI-native companies.”

Among the county’s advantages is its location in Northern Virginia, the data center capital of the world.

“While Arlington does not house large-scale data centers, its proximity to this infrastructure makes it highly attractive to AI companies seeking reliable connectivity, access to data resources, and proximity to decision-makers in both the federal and commercial sectors,” Touhill said.

“This has long been a key component of AED’s business attraction strategy and remains central as technologies advance,” he added.

Attracting more office tenants has taken on a new urgency since the pandemic, when the shift to remote work caused Arlington’s office vacancy rates to swell.

Additionally, mass federal layoffs under President Donald Trump have created new uncertainty throughout the D.C. area. As unemployment has spiked, experts predict fluctuations in the region’s office space this year.

While supporting creative solutions to office vacancies like office-to-apartment conversions, AED earlier this year launched a new program focused on attracting tech companies.

Arlington Tech Launchpad formally kicked off on Jan. 29, the day after Trump’s “deferred resignation” offers ignited months of turmoil at federal workplaces around the country.

Since then, AED has continued to convene business leaders in events like CivStart’s State of GovTech 2025, which took place earlier this month.

Overall, Touhill predicted that AI will introduce significant changes in some Arlington workplaces as technology accelerates product development and business operations. However, he projected confidence in the county’s ability to adjust to rapid advancements.

“Some job functions are evolving, but Arlington’s highly educated workforce is well positioned to adapt,” he said. “Continuous learning and upskilling will be key as technology advances.”

While some companies are restructuring roles, Touhill said that others have been expanding their presence in Arlington. At this point, he said, AED has not seen any widespread job losses locally that are directly tied to AI.

Turning toward the future, Touhill said that AED is working closely with higher education, industry partners and county agencies to keep up with AI developments.

Meanwhile, the county’s Department of Technology Services has begun using AI to “improve government services and demonstrate practical, community-benefiting uses of the technology.”

“Workforce education and business engagement remain central strategies to ensure Arlington remains competitive and resilient as AI adoption grows,” Touhill said.