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- Mississippi government agencies are using artificial intelligence to automate simple daily tasks.
- The state is focused on low-risk uses of AI, such as in finance and accounting, where humans always supervise the work.
- The adoption of new AI projects in state agencies has increased significantly, but has slowed recently.
- Workforce development programs are being implemented to train state employees on how to use new AI tools.
Gov. Tate Reeves has sought to position Mississippi as one of the leaders in artificial intelligence development by backing billions of dollars invested in data centers in the state.
Mississippi state government agencies, led by the Department of Information Technology Services and the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network, are most committed to implementing artificial intelligence in the workplace. While departments have worked together to advance AI and monitor its adoption, the new technology is not yet at full throttle.
MAIN Director Dr. Colin Napier explained that the current focus of AI in government is on reducing the simple tasks that state employees have to handle every day. He says that mundane emails and expense reports can usually be completed faster and cleaner by algorithms than by humans.
“AI is being experimented with in many ways to take the mundane out of the everyday,” Napier said. “We look at finance and accounting, we check reimbursements, things like that. There’s a lot of things a human could miss, but there’s always a human involved.”
The Clarion Ledger spoke with Napier at the Mississippi AI Innovation Hub Showcase on May 5th. There, student groups from Mississippi universities and industry leaders presented new AI tools and their potential uses in government. About half of the new tools addressed the work Napier discussed, and the other half addressed state health agencies.
While the idea of new AI technology being responsible for health information is likely to be uncomfortable for most Mississippians, ITS Chief Strategy Officer Stephanie Hedgepeth said cybersecurity is a top priority for the systems being tested by the Board of Nursing, the Department of Mental Health, and others.
“AI’s focus is on productivity hacks and these low-risk, everyday tasks,” Hedgepeth said. “These agencies will receive terms and conditions from ITS that will explain exactly how they can use AI in their offices.”
The adoption of AI in national institutions has stalled recently. According to an AI inventory of state agencies compiled by ITS last year, the number of AI projects nearly quadrupled from 2024 to 2025, reaching 232, but increased by only eight projects in 2026.
State health agencies are in the process of increasing their use of AI, and early adopters include the Department of Employment Security, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Arts Commission.
Napier said the introduction of artificial intelligence into state government operations has been intentionally modest because state employees who use the technology will have to adapt and learn accordingly.
“As much as we’re working on upgrading and building new tools, we need to upskill to teach people how to use AI,” he said. “Workforce development must occur in tandem with economic development.”
The UPSKILL program passed by the Mississippi Legislature this session provides adults with free community college courses in areas the state has highlighted as economic priorities. Artificial intelligence was promoted by some of the bill’s sponsors, and Governor Reeves also supported it.
“Think of AI like an intern,” Napier says. “New interns have a lot of questions and are eager to solve problems, but they need to be very specific about how they want things to be. Just as humans are learning systems, systems are learning humans.”
Widespread adoption of artificial intelligence often raises concerns about job security, particularly concerns about the displacement of managers. Both Napier and Hedgepeth gave no guarantee that increased use of AI in state government would not lead to layoffs, but stressed that current policy requires humans to oversee the work generated.
“When we talk about AI in the workplace, think of it as redesigning roles,” Napier says. “You’re in that role because you’re the knowledge expert. You have the final say.”
Napier said artificial intelligence is not going anywhere.
“AI is the most accessible technology we’ve ever had,” he says. “And we have a commitment from our state to ensure that all Mississippians have the opportunity to thrive and participate in it.”
Bea Anhuci is a state government reporter for the Clarion Ledger. She has been covering Mississippi government since early 2026. Email us at banhuci@usatodayco.com.
