AI Legislative Task Force meets at MSU, tours research centers at the forefront of technology

Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—The Artificial Intelligence Legislative Task Force chaired by state Sen. Bart Williams of Starkville and state Rep. Jill Ford of Madison held its September meeting at Mississippi State today [Sept. 25], gaining insight on how the university supports the state’s position as a national and global technology and innovation leader.

“We are a tech destination,” Williams emphasized. “We’re on the radar throughout the nation thanks to the leadership of many in this room, and we want to continue to do that.”

MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw said it is crucial to have engaging conversations about “a whole suite of emerging technologies.”

“We’re so proud that our state is taking a leadership role. We want to listen to you and be challenged by you, and we can work together to keep this state in the forefront—not just trying to figure out how to regulate AI but how to embrace it in a very holistic, but also responsible way,” Shaw said

MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan is an ex-officio member of the AI Legislative Task Force and helped lead tours of key university research centers for the visitors.

Jordan said Mississippi is now in a coveted position thanks to foresight of leaders who invested in infrastructure over the past decades. She said the state has invested in supercomputing data centers and the cutting-edge technology needed to move forward quickly in the age of AI.

“One limitation for AI development nationally and globally is the combination of power and space—but the state of Mississippi has invested in building that type of infrastructure right here at Mississippi State University, so we’re poised to move quickly on any needs the state has,” Jordan said.

“This is also why we must maintain our leading edge. It takes investment today to be ready for the opportunities that come tomorrow,” she added.

CAVS Executive Director Clay Walden showcased his center’s work on off-road autonomous vehicles, among other research areas. CAVS is home to the university’s EcoCAR student team, which has brought MSU three national championships in advanced automotive engineering.

“There is not an area at CAVS where machine learning and AI is not involved. It permeates everything we do,” Walden said.

Alex Thomasson also led a tour of one of the university’s newest research centers, the Agriculture Autonomy Institute, transforming decision-making in agriculture through data-driven insights.

Presenters outlined the rapid pace of AI progress, with Jonathan Barlow, associate director and assistant professor for MSU’s Data Science Program, discussing topics such as how AI is being developed and advanced, as well as how it functions with ongoing gains in logic and reasoning. Computer Science and Engineering Department Head and Professor Andy Perkins described a wide variety of employment opportunities for MSU graduates and touted MSU’s three designations as a Center of Academic Excellence for Cyber Operations, Cyber Research and Cyber Defense.

MSU researchers also are looking at issues that include ethics, privacy and policy related to AI application and development.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.