- The state artificial intelligence educational framework will provide a foundation for understanding, teaching, and applying AI in education and workforce development.
On Thursday, Mississippi released its statewide artificial intelligence education priorities, which provide a structured, step-by-step map of the AI skills students need from K-12 through career leadership, making the Magnolia State one of the first to do so.
The AI Workforce Readiness Council developed the 27-page educational framework, as part of the State Workforce Investment Board, and in partnership with AccelerateMS and the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN).
The educational framework showcases how Mississippi is advancing into the AI era by building on its strengths: resilience, collaboration, and its people, the governor’s office announced, adding that the priorities are grounded in a “clear conviction” that the purpose of AI is not to replace human judgment, but to strengthen it.
“Mississippi isn’t just attracting the industries of the future; we’re building them,” Governor Tate Reeves (R) said in a statement. “This framework is another example of our state leading the way in American innovation. Artificial intelligence is going to transform industries, and this cutting-edge framework gives our students, educators, and workforce development partners a clear roadmap to ensure Mississippians have the education and skills they need to succeed in a rapidly changing economy.”
The AI framework will provide a foundation for understanding, teaching, and applying AI in education and workforce development. With clear expectations for AI literacy and skill development from kindergarten to post-secondary education, the framework is intended to ensure cohesion between the classroom, training program, and business needs.
“This is about more than technology — it’s about people,” said Dr. Courtney Taylor, executive director of AccelerateMS. “We are building a system that prepares every Mississippian, from a student in the Delta to a shipbuilder on the Gulf Coast, to adapt, compete, and succeed in a rapidly changing world.”
Centered around 11 core AI skills, the framework outlines competency levels, including basic AI understanding to ethical reasoning, cybersecurity awareness, and real-life applications across the state’s businesses, including agriculture, coastal resilience, advanced manufacturing, and healthcare.
These domains are said to be geared towards ensuring learners not only understand AI tools “but also develop the critical thinking, adaptability, and judgment needed to lead in an AI-enabled economy.”
Kollin Napier, director of MAIN and chair of the AI Workforce Readiness Council, said, “It keeps human judgment at the center of every decision and gives educators and employers a clear path to equip learners with the skills needed to succeed in an AI-driven economy.”
The full Mississippi Statewide AI Framework is available here.
