Artificial Intelligence

Amid all the attention around AI, Mississippi CIO Craig Orgeron said his state is focused on building the foundations state government needs to scale emerging technologies into 2026.

The company has bought GrantExec, a young company that uses artificial intelligence to help match grant providers with recipients. The deal is not Euna’s first foray into grant administration technology.

UW-Stout has received about $2 million of federal grants for special projects to promote civil discourse, enhance understanding of AI and expand short-term, non-degree training programs.

As tech titans invest billions into data centers and high-tech computer chips to fuel their AI ambitions, concerns are building over energy costs, especially in communities where data centers pop up.

The local government has partnered with Blitz AI to make its building permit process more efficient. The integration automates formerly time-consuming manual application reviews.

Hawaii’s capital city is using CivCheck’s platform to review applications and speed up the permitting process. Bellevue, Wash., also uses AI permitting process tools, and Louisville, Ky., will soon pilot them.

One of the key lessons from Florida Virtual School’s collaboration with the AI-enabled data platform Doowii was the importance of spending time with users to understand their needs and limits.

The appointment of Eleonore Fournier-Tombs as chief AI officer and Stephen Graham as chief digital officer signals a more coordinated approach to AI, tech policy and public services as leadership roles evolve.

The University at Albany's embrace of IBM's artificial intelligence hardware and expertise is paying quick dividends for researchers in academic departments across the school.

The website for VivaSLO.org launched in January after several months of development by Shower the People, an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to bringing free hygiene services to the county’s homeless population.

The company that brought a data center to The Kansas City Star’s former home just over a year ago has now purchased the building while working to transform it into a tech hub and AI campus.

Instructors are evaluating how artificial intelligence impacts the main goals of education and adjusting their teaching accordingly. This leads to conversations about critical thinking and changing workforce expectations.

The Parents and Kids Safe AI Act would mandate age assurance, limit data use for minors, require child-safety audits and expand parental controls. It revises a similar, unsuccessful bill from 2025.

Mississippi has announced a new AI data center build that promises tax revenue and job creation. Such gains are not always easy to quantify, but policymakers can push developers to deliver.

Attorney General Dana Nessel is challenging state energy regulators' approval of special electricity contracts between DTE Energy Co. and the developers of a high-profile data center in Saline Township.

Researchers worked with the Federal Reserve to create a predictive model that assesses hundreds of institutional characteristics to estimate the likelihood that a college might close.

Schools in the state have until July 1, 2026, to enact their own AI usage policies. The new model AI policy is intended to assist districts, which can either adopt it or customize it to meet their needs.

The largest city in Kentucky recently hired a public-sector AI leader, and marked the first AI pilot for the local government. Louisville, in need of affordable housing, wants to build AI leadership.