- State Rep. Jill Ford says to turn innovation into opportunity, Mississippi must continue pursuing policies that are practical, ambitious, and tailored to our people.
The future of artificial intelligence (AI) is what we make it. Like electricity or the internet, AI is a tool, and its value depends on how we use it. Mississippi’s goal should be simple: put AI to work in ways that expand opportunity, strengthen communities, and help our people succeed.
If we treat AI as a practical tool to solve real problems, we can align innovation with Mississippi values, protecting our people, growing good jobs at home, and helping America stay ahead of China.
Across the country, AI is already saving lives and improving public safety. Nurses are using it to streamline patient care, and firefighters are using it to predict how wildfires spread. Here in Mississippi, AI can be just as transformative, and, in many ways, it already is.
Mississippi Is Already Leading
Our state has quietly become one of the most active in the country when it comes to responsible, practical AI deployment. Through the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN), we’ve established the nation’s first statewide AI education and workforce initiative, connecting community colleges, universities, and industry partners to offer free, self-paced AI courses for students, workers, and educators. MAIN is equipping Mississippians with real-world skills in healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, and information technology.
Governor Tate Reeves recently signed an executive order directing all state agencies to prepare for AI adoption responsibly, balancing innovation with safeguards for privacy, security, and transparency. The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services also launched an AI Innovation Hub, built in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and MAIN, to develop new tools for government, workforce development, and education.
Just this year, the state partnered with NVIDIA to expand AI education and research across sectors like healthcare, energy, and agriculture, and launched the Mississippi AI Talent Accelerator Program (MAI-TAP), a $9.1 million investment to help colleges and universities train the next generation of AI professionals. These initiatives show that Mississippi isn’t waiting for the future to arrive, we’re building it.
Building Mississippi’s AI Workforce
When new technology comes to Mississippi, our people should benefit first. AI-related industries can bring good-paying careers that keep our children and grandchildren working right here at home, but that starts with training.
Our community colleges and universities are already integrating AI into programs like nursing, agriculture, information technology, and advanced manufacturing. Apprenticeships are preparing electricians, network technicians, and data center operators. Veterans transitioning into civilian life are bringing their discipline and leadership into cybersecurity and AI operations.
When education and real projects connect, Mississippians can provide for their families, strengthen local economies, and achieve the American dream, right here where they grew up.
Competing with China
The United States and China are in a global race to lead in artificial intelligence. America may be leading in research and model development, but China is moving faster to put AI into everyday use, from factories to hospitals to government systems.
As Google’s President of Global Affairs Kent Walker recently said, leadership in AI isn’t just about innovation, it’s about implementation. Winning that “deployment race” keeps our supply chains secure, protects our sensitive data, and ensures America, not China, sets the global standard.
Mississippi can play a major part in that mission, and we already are.
Smart Policy, Strong Results
To turn innovation into opportunity, Mississippi must continue pursuing policies that are practical, ambitious, and tailored to our people.
That means funding AI training programs at community colleges, piloting AI in state agencies, and using existing consumer protection laws to prevent misuse or fraud, without layering on excessive red tape.
It also means modernizing our infrastructure, expediting permits for new energy and data projects, and welcoming responsible investment that drives growth while protecting Mississippi families and communities.
These are the kinds of policies that attract investment, build trust, and keep AI’s benefits rooted in Mississippi, not exported somewhere else.
Mississippi’s Moment
We are standing at the start of a new era of opportunity. If we act now, with focus and foresight, Mississippi can lead in AI innovation, grow good jobs, and create a future where our children have every reason to stay and thrive here at home.
The tools are in our hands. It’s time to put them to work for Mississippi.
Jill Ford
