The Mississippi AI Talent Accelerator Program is going to embed AI-focused initiatives throughout the state's colleges. During a Thursday press conference, Governor Tate Reeves Reeves said that soon, employers across various industries, not just tech, are going to want workers with AI skills.
“There are a lot of folks also that think of AI as replacing jobs in the future,” Reeves said. “What we're talking about is training our people so that our people can work hand in glove alongside the advancements in technology and the advancement in AI.”
The program is also meant to support Amazon Web Services' $10 billion entry into Mississippi through its data centers. The Amazon subsidiary currently controls around one-third of the world's cloud computing infrastructure and the AI boom has accelerated its growth.
“AI will absolutely be transformational in a way that may even exceed the impact of the internet or the cloud,” said Roger Weiner, Vice President of Economic Development for AWS.
Through the program, over $9 million in grants are going to colleges across the state for trainings and new AI tools, like offering legal-focused AI certificates at Mississippi College and AI-assisted telehealth resources at Alcorn University.
Though there are industry-specific programs being funded, Dr. Courtney Taylor, Executive Director of AccelerateMS, says a major focus is ensuring students get AI skills they can use in any career path.
“The goal is to say we're gonna make sure you understand that it's there, what the basics are, and then figure out how to incorporate that into your world,” Taylor said.
The grants announced Thursday are only the first round, as the legislature has appropriated over $30 million for the AI initiative. The following colleges are receiving funding now:
- Alcorn State University: $1.15 million to train individuals in southwest Mississippi on digital literacy and artificial intelligence fundamentals. This funding will also allow for the deployment of telehealth resources through ASU’s School of Nursing to improve healthcare access to underserved, rural communities.
- Belhaven University: $390K to hire a dedicated AI program chair and integrate AI content into its online MBA curriculum to ensure working professionals have practical, industry-aligned AI skills.
- Jackson State University: $1.3 million to launch an Executive On Roster (XOR) program to engage AI experts and provide real-time industry insights, ensuring that workforce participants have relevant and appropriate skills. JSU student consulting teams will partner with Millsaps College to deliver AI-powered small business support to cultivate tech-driven startups and enhance Mississippi’s small business ecosystem.
- Millsaps College: $1 million to build upon an existing private investment. Millsaps will establish an endowed chair in AI and Emerging Technology. Through the ELSEWORKS student consulting program and in partnership with JSU, Millsaps will assist small businesses with AI integration.
- Mississippi College: $723K to leverage existing, private funding. Mississippi College’s funding will create a 12-hour certificate and a 6-hour microcredential in their School of Law to ensure Mississippi’s future and current lawyers have knowledge needed to thrive in the AI/machine learning enabled world.
- Mississippi State University: $2.2 million to establish an endowment and seek private match for AI/machine learning workforce and research initiatives. This includes two new faculty lines and the development of a graduate certificate in Data Center Construction Management – one of the first of its kind nationally.
- University of Southern Mississippi: $1.24 million to establish a Maritime AI Innovation Lab to accelerate AI adoption in Mississippi’s Blue Economy. The Lab will focus on port efficiency, vessel safety, and supply chain optimization. Additionally, USM will launch a master’s degree in Robotics and Intelligent Systems. Funding includes support for faculty, graduate researchers, and critical GPU infrastructure. USM will establish an endowment and seek private match to support AI/machine learning research and application of innovations.
