Heartland Forward and Heartland Whole Health Institute convened a statewide AI strategy event to map the future of AI for the state
Bentonville, Ark.— As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and communities across the country, Arkansas is stepping to the forefront, demonstrating both public and private commitment to ensuring the state is ready to safely harness the power of AI. To advance that vision, Heartland Forward, a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank, partnered with Heartland Whole Health Institute to co-host Arkansas policymakers for a high-level roundtable focused on maximizing AI’s potential to drive innovation—strengthening education, health care and the workforce all while maximizing economic benefit statewide.
“Sarah and I are committed to implementing AI where it makes sense, especially to improve state government and return savings to taxpayers, prepare our students for high demand jobs, improve health, and establish common sense safeguards to protect kids,” said Arkansas First Gentleman Bryan Sanders. “With strong collaboration between state government, the private sector, Heartland Forward and Heartland Whole Health Institute, we have a great opportunity to lead on AI and improve the lives of Arkansans.”
Sessions highlighted education, workforce and health care applications, with breakout discussions to identify pathways for safe and successful implementation. Chief Data Officer and Chair of the AI & Analytics Center for Excellence Robert McGough gave an overview of Arkansas’s success to date in AI adoption and its plans for the future. Arkansas Economic Development Commission Program Director Jennifer Fowler, Ph.D., highlighted examples of game-changing pilot projects and strategic public-private collaborations amplifying Arkansas’s capacity for AI education, research and groundbreaking innovation while John Bailey, an expert on AI policy in the United States, presented a national policy briefing on AI. Heartland Whole Health Institute President Claude Pirtle, MD led a discussion on balancing technological innovation and patient safety.
“Working together, we are ensuring that Arkansas is fully equipped to harness the benefits of AI and operate more efficiently for the people we serve,” said Leslie Fisken, Secretary of Shared Administrative Services. “Our department is focused on modernizing and streamlining shared services across agencies, building the capacity and tools needed to support employees, and collaborating with federal, state, and community partners to deliver solutions that improve service delivery and strengthen outcomes for all Arkansans.”
“The heartland is already stepping to the forefront as a national leader for AI implementation—successfully integrating this revolutionary technology into education, agriculture, energy and other key sectors,” said Angie Cooper, president of Heartland Forward. “We made real progress in moving forward AI strategies that will safely drive innovation and deliver real benefits for Arkansans. We committed to taking concrete actions to ensure we harness the power of AI for economic transformation—to grow our workforce, support teachers and patients and help businesses thrive.”
Heartland Forward is supercharging AI literacy and readiness throughout the heartland, so no community gets left behind in the AI transformation. Through AI salon dinners that capture community perspectives about AI’s potential in heartland states, the creation of a first-of-its-kind gamified AI curriculum for students and entrepreneurs through a partnership with AI-learning company Stemuli and polling that demonstrates both rising interest in AI and a widening readiness gap, Heartland Forward is ensuring communities across the region can lead in the age of AI. Heartland Forward has also joined with OpenAI Academy and the Walton Family Foundation in a nationwide initiative to prepare nonprofit organizations for AI use.
“Artificial intelligence will transform health outcomes across Arkansas, from improving patient care to strengthening community health systems,” said Claude Pirtle, MD, president of Heartland Whole Health Institute. “By engaging top leaders from across the state, we will help ensure that our state’s AI adoption is aligned with the health and well-being of all Arkansans.”
The convening closed with a forward-looking session on the future of AI in Arkansas, examining priorities, ensuring safety and exploring collaboration opportunities to ensure the state’s AI strategy is effective and responsive to residents’ needs.
About Heartland Forward
Heartland Forward is a non-profit, policy think-and-do tank that turns ideas into action for states and local communities. Our mission is to accelerate economic growth, change the narrative about the middle of the country and generate $500 million of economic impact to the heartland by 2030. We do this through applied research, community-driven programs, policy and convenings—focusing on regional competitiveness, talent pipeline and health and wellness.
About Heartland Whole Health Institute
Founded in 2019 by philanthropist Alice Walton, Heartland Whole Health Institute puts a whole health approach at the center of the broader health care system to address the current health care crisis. The vision is to advocate, educate, and guide the implementation of an innovative system, rooted in whole health and the realignment of financial incentives.
The Institute was driven by its founder’s health care experience and furthered by research revealing that the United States has one of the highest levels of health care spending worldwide yet relatively low rankings in overall health. In conjunction with Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, the Institute will transform health care by improving outcomes, reducing costs, and expanding access, beginning in the Heartland and scaling nationally.