In this episode of the In AI We Trust? AI Literacy series, Miriam Vogel talks with Angie Cooper, President and COO of Heartland Forward, to explore how artificial intelligence can accelerate economic growth across America’s Heartland. With a sense of urgency and deep empathy, Cooper offers a practical vision: we must meet people where they are and bring everyone along in the AI era.
The Heartland Summit
Hosted in Bentonville, Arkansas, the Heartland Summit features a range of voices: from agriculture to tech, from small-town mayors to global investors, and creates a space for action. The Heartland Summit invites participants to “meet in the middle.”
“We don’t bring people together to sit and talk and admire the problems,” Cooper says. “But actually go do something about it.”
Cooper highlights one exciting partnership announced at the Summit: Heartland Forward’s partnership with Stemuli, an edtech organization, to create an AI literacy video game aimed at rural students and entrepreneurs across the Heartland. It’s a bold approach designed to promote lifelong learning.
Polling the Heartland
A key aspect of Heartland Forward’s strategy is data-driven action.
Their recent AI sentiment poll with Aaru revealed that over 80% of Heartlanders feel unsure about how to use AI, but many recognize its importance in sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education. Also interesting is that 70% of respondents believe their employers should teach them how to use AI, yet they are unsure how to incorporate AI into the workforce.
Another recent poll from Heartland Forward, in partnership with Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation, found that 77% of Gen Zers use ChatGPT on a regular basis, but only 10% receive formal AI education in school and only 9% feel extremely prepared to use AI at work.
These statistics speak to a pressing need: literacy programs that teach people about AI’s everyday applications for work and life.
Building AI Literacy through Access and Trust
Heartland Forward begins its work with the basics—expanding internet access so more people can access AI. Their Connecting the Heartland initiative was launched to ensure families in the heartland have the high-speed, affordable internet service necessary for full participation in life in the digital age.
Cooper emphasizes the important role public-private partnerships should play in increasing AI literacy. In the episode, she asks, “Wouldn’t it be great if all librarians in the Heartland were able to help people that walked into the library, show them the basic skills on how to use AI?”
In the interview with Miriam, she also stresses the importance of trust, “People want to trust: why are you wanting to teach me this? Why is this important to our business? Why will this be helpful for me?” This trust is especially important in companies looking to introduce AI to their workforce. She advises C-suite executives to talk with employees at all levels to learn more about how they are using AI and to be able to meet them where they’re at with AI education.
Salon Dinners
In order to learn more about how Heartland communities are thinking about AI, Heartland Forward hosts intimate “salon dinners” in cities like Nashville, Fargo, and Baton Rouge. These gatherings bring together policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and more.
The conversations often surface helpful insights, such as informing investors of relevant new bills or task forces being created in state legislatures. Legislators in attendance, many of whom serve part-time and deal with a variety of topics, are eager for information about what is happening in tech and the workforce, which they can learn from other participants.
A Shared Responsibility
Cooper shares that the Heartland represents the third largest GDP in the world, behind only the U.S. and China, underscoring the region’s extraordinary opportunity. “We strongly believe that if you have the skills to use AI, the people that know how to use AI will advance in their jobs, their careers, and help our communities thrive,” Cooper says. Cooper reminds us that we all have a role to play in distributing and expanding AI’s opportunities amongst all of our communities.
Enjoy the full episode here:
