Bentonville, AR – Today, the White House released its AI Action Plan to increase American competitiveness in artificial intelligence with three pillars targeting infrastructure, innovation, and global influence. 

In response to today’s announcement, Angie Cooper, president and chief operating officer of Heartland Forward, issued the following statement:

“The heartland is ready to lead in the age of AI. Realizing the full power of American innovation means looking beyond Silicon Valley and New York. It means backing the brilliant minds in small towns, mid-sized cities and communities across the country. It means investing in regions ready to lead in the industries that will define our future.

Across the heartland, people are energized about the promise of innovation. They see AI’s potential to strengthen communities, expand opportunity and shape an exciting new future. Now is the time to meet that energy with bold action by expanding access, providing support and empowering every individual to step confidently into the AI era.

Access to high-speed internet must be a top priority for governors and for leaders at every level of government. It’s time to unlock the full potential of the heartland and secure America’s place at the forefront of global AI leadership.

We look forward to working with the Administration and state and local leaders to get it done.”

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.  Learn more at www.heartlandforward.org

Through our Connecting the Heartland initiative, we’re working to bring reliable high-speed internet access to as many heartland residents as possible. We’re also hosting salon dinners across the country to better understand opportunities and the heartland’s feelings about AI. To help the heartland gain key AI skills, we recently announced a partnership with Stemuli to create and deploy a gamified AI curriculum for students and entrepreneurs.