Led by Heartland Forward, a Bentonville, Ark.-based “think and do” tank, the Heartland AI Caucus is a bipartisan alliance dedicated to shaping the region’s approach to AI policy.
Guiding the effort is Arkansas Senate President Pro Tem Bart Hester, who will lead the caucus as it launches with six founding states — Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The group’s central mission is to advance practical AI policy that strengthens local economies, prepares workers and modernizes government systems across the region.
The caucus, supported by funding from Google.org, plans to meet monthly — virtually and in person — in participating states. In its first year, members will identify shared AI policy priorities and explore the development of model legislation that states can adopt to promote responsible AI use in education, workforce development, health care, small businesses and government operations.
New members are being added to the caucus “as we speak,” Heartland Forward President Angie Cooper said, noting the group itself will determine its agenda moving forward.
“From a state policy perspective, there were over 1,000 bills that were introduced just last year nationwide,” Cooper said. “These caucus members are looking for resources to advance public policy, but also to advance economic development in their states and communities.”
That search for practical, state-focused solutions is what inspired Heartland Forward to create the caucus in the first place. Cooper said it grew from months of travel and conversations across what she defined as “20 states in the middle of the country that make up the third-largest economy in the world.” From Fargo, N.D., to Tulsa, Okla., to Baton Rouge, La., she and her team met with policymakers, business leaders and educators to understand what was missing from the national AI conversation.
“We know AI is really important to get right in the heartland,” Cooper said. “So we’ve been talking to policymakers, but really that public-private partnership opportunity is what is needed to ensure the heartland has the opportunity to lead on AI.”
According to Heartland polling, while 71 percent of heartlanders believe employers should offer AI training, fewer than 1 percent feel highly proficient with AI tools in the workplace. Similarly, 77 percent of Gen Zers in the heartland use generative AI, but only 10 percent said their teachers have prepared them for an AI-driven future.
Those gaps, Cooper says, are part of why the caucus is launching now.
“We believe the magic happens when you bring the right people around the table,” she said. “We’ll continue to bring data and research — polling, policy insights, convenings — to inform members and their decision making.”
Hester said he believes the area’s agility and adaptability are key advantages.
“I think it’s important that it started in the heartland because we can move faster than anyone else,” he said. “And I think the heartland can show the tech giants of the world that we’re the place to be — they move fast. In the tech world, we are the governmental bodies that can move faster than anyone else to help lay some infrastructure that they need.”
For Hester, who has spent years navigating the ins and outs of state policymaking, the new caucus isn’t just about generating ideas — it’s about putting them into action. He said his experience in crafting and advancing legislation was a key reason he was tapped to lead the effort.
“It’s really important to have a model policy, but what’s equally as important is the ability to pass it,” Hester said. “Having someone with my particular skill set with the ability to hopefully work with some model policy, to work with colleagues across state lines to get it passed, I think, is critically important.”
He also sees the caucus as a safeguard against chaos, because, as he said, “if there’s a blank slate, there’s going to be bad operators using it for bad purposes.” Establishing clear regulatory guidelines can prevent misuse, the senator said, while also easing fears that future rules might become overly restrictive or stifle creativity.
Many of its details are still being finalized, but Cooper made clear the caucus is a key part of Heartland Forward’s long-term goal: generating $500 million in economic growth across the region by 2030.
“We definitely see the AI Caucus playing a big role in that overall goal,” she said. “Not a goal that we meet by ourselves, but through public-private partnerships.”
As the caucus takes shape, Cooper said its success will hinge on both policy outcomes and the partnerships that develop through its work. Hester highlighted the need for flexibility, pointing out AI is evolving so quickly the landscape could shift significantly before the caucus even convenes.
“We know this — that the world is going to be moving and AI is going to be involved in everything. And if the government can't keep up, we're going to be putting our constituents and the people at a real disadvantage,” he said. “It’s just critically important that we are capable, that we are knowledgeable, and that we are using AI as a tool for us rather than defending against it.”
