AI Innovation Hub

Emerging Technologies

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Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) Announces AI Innovation Hub Partnership with MAIN and AWS

The Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) to launch the AI Innovation Hub. This collaboration will drive AI innovation across Mississippi, benefiting state agencies, higher education institutions, and businesses.

The AI Innovation Hub will serve as a central point for coordinating and implementing AI initiatives throughout the state, bridging the gap between academia, government, and industry.

Key components of this partnership include:

Proof of Concept (POC) Investment: AWS will provide funding for AI application POCs, leveraging AWS landing zones operated by ITS. This will allow for the development of practical AI solutions and foster a skilled workforce. Higher education students will also have access to a sandbox environment within the ITS AWS landing zone to build POCs.
Educational Investment: AWS will contribute AI/ML curriculum for higher education, providing students with hands-on experience in developing real-world AI applications. This includes tailored training programs, hands-on labs and workshops, and certification pathways for AWS AI/ML specialties, managed by MAIN.
Digital Innovation Team Support: ITS, with MAIN and AWS, will conduct specialized workshops to help organizations identify strategic AI implementation opportunities and develop actionable innovation roadmaps.
AWS Advisory Committee: An AWS Advisory Committee, including ITS and MAIN, will be established to provide guidance and support for the successful deployment of AI initiatives.
Economic Impact: AWS's investment in AI/ML local zone datacenters will boost Mississippi's tech infrastructure and expand the economic benefits of AWS's presence in the state.

This partnership draws inspiration from successful models like Massachusetts' InnovateMA, aiming to create a centralized platform for sharing use case requests and POC progress, and to connect student innovators with workforce opportunities.

"This collaboration with MAIN and AWS is a significant step forward for Mississippi," said Dr. Craig P. Orgeron, ITS Executive Director and State CIO. "The AI Innovation Hub will accelerate AI adoption, drive economic growth, and enhance public services across the state."

Those interested in learning more about the AI Innovation Hub can contact InnovationHub@its.ms.gov.

Link to Press Release AI Innovation Hub Press Release.pdf