Mississippi’s statewide AI landscape
Artificial intelligence work in Mississippi is spread across several organizations, each with a defined role. State government sets direction for its own agencies. The Legislature studies regulation. The Department of Education issues classroom guidance. Workforce agencies fund and coordinate training. Colleges and universities teach. MAIN connects those pieces and delivers statewide AI education and training.
The Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network was established in 2023 and coordinates statewide AI education, workforce training, partnerships, and responsible adoption. MAIN is based at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, which serves as its host institution, and works with schools, colleges, universities, agencies, and employers across all of Mississippi.
MAIN does not regulate AI use, and it does not replace the official guidance published by state agencies. Its role is to make the statewide picture usable: training people, publishing practical implementation resources, convening partners, and pointing to the correct authority for each question.
Who does what in Mississippi AI
Mississippi’s AI ecosystem involves multiple organizations with distinct responsibilities. This is the short version, with links to each organization’s own source.
| Organization | Role in AI |
|---|---|
| MAIN | Mississippi’s statewide AI network. Delivers free AI courses and educator CEUs, publishes policy templates and playbooks, convenes partners, and supports responsible adoption. About MAIN |
| MGCCC | Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is MAIN’s host institution and administers MAIN’s course delivery. mgccc.edu |
| ITS | The Department of Information Technology Services was charged under Executive Order 1584 (January 2025) with leading statewide AI strategy, guidelines, and governance. ITS publishes its AI Acceptable Use Policy and AI training resources for state employees. ITS AI Acceptable Use Policy |
| MDE | The Mississippi Department of Education publishes official artificial intelligence guidance for K-12 classrooms. MDE K-12 AI guidance (PDF) |
| AccelerateMS | Mississippi’s Office of Workforce Development. Partners on statewide AI workforce readiness work, including the AI Workforce Readiness Council. acceleratems.org |
| Legislature & PEER | The Legislature created the Artificial Intelligence Regulation Task Force through Senate Bill 2426 (2025). PEER provides clerical support for the Task Force and hosts its report. Task Force Report One (PDF) |
| Universities & colleges | Each institution is the authoritative source for its own AI degrees, certificates, and courses. MAIN maintains a statewide comparison. AI degrees and pathways in Mississippi |
Statewide AI strategy and workforce
Mississippi’s AI workforce work is coordinated through the AI Workforce Readiness Council, a subcommittee of the State Workforce Investment Board. The Council developed the Mississippi Statewide AI Framework in partnership with AccelerateMS and MAIN; Governor Tate Reeves announced its launch on May 21, 2026. The Council’s work is connected to the Mississippi AI Talent Accelerator Program (MAI-TAP), a $9.1 million grant initiative announced June 12, 2025 to expand AI and machine learning capacity across the state’s institutions of higher learning.
AI Workforce Readiness Council
How Mississippi aligns its AI talent pipeline across K-12, postsecondary education, workforce training, and industry.
Statewide AI Framework report (PDF)
The current Council-developed framework report hosted by MAIN. See also the Governor’s announcement.
Mississippi’s Statewide AI Priorities
The shared direction for AI literacy, responsible use, data governance, workforce readiness, and measurable outcomes.
AI Learning Progression Framework
A shared map of AI skills from K-12 through career leadership. A common language, not a curriculum or a mandate.
Policy, governance, and responsible AI
Different questions have different authorities in Mississippi. For how state government approaches AI, ITS is the source. For K-12 classroom practice, MDE publishes the official guidance. For what the law says or may become, the Legislature and the AI Regulation Task Force are the record. MAIN’s contribution is implementation support: adaptable templates and plain-language explanation for organizations that need to write their own policy.
AI Regulation Task Force
What the Task Force is, what it has reported, and what it means for agencies, districts, and employers.
AI policy and guidance templates
Adaptable starting points for K-12, higher education, state and local government, healthcare, business, finance, and nonprofits.
AI guidance from Mississippi institutions
What Mississippi institutions have published for their own students, faculty, and staff.
Official state sources
ITS AI Acceptable Use Policy · ITS AI training · MDE K-12 guidance
Learn AI and build skills
MAIN’s AI courses are free to Mississippi learners and are administered through participating colleges. Educators can earn continuing education units. Practical playbooks and prompting guides support day-to-day use in classrooms, agencies, and workplaces.
Free AI courses
Statewide AI training at no cost through a participating college.
CEUs for Mississippi teachers
Free AI training with continuing education units for K-12 educators.
AI playbooks
Practical guidance for students, faculty, manufacturers, cybersecurity teams, and dual enrollment programs.
AI degrees and career pathways
Compare AI degrees, certificates, and pathways offered across Mississippi institutions.
Innovation and adoption
The Mississippi AI Innovation Hub is a collaboration among Amazon Web Services, Mississippi ITS, and MAIN that turns practical use cases into working proofs of concept, with participating universities contributing student and research capacity. Sector resources help employers and agencies move from interest to implementation.
AI Innovation Hub
Submit a use case, or see how agencies and students build practical AI solutions together.
Business and industry
Workforce training, prompting guides, and partnership pathways for Mississippi employers.
Government and public sector
Training for public employees and support for agency AI adoption.
MAIN partners
The institutions, agencies, and technology partners MAIN works with statewide.
What is happening now
MAIN publishes ongoing coverage of statewide AI developments, partnership announcements, and training milestones, along with a calendar of MAIN events and sessions.
Start here
Pick the description closest to you.
I teach in a Mississippi school or college
I am a student
I run or work for an employer
I work in state or local government
Public-sector AI and the AI Innovation Hub.
I represent an institution or partner
I am researching Mississippi from outside the state
Start with About MAIN, the roles table above, and the newsroom. For interviews or collaboration, contact MAIN.