Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN)

The Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN) is excited to announce a transformative step forward, made possible by a $7.1 million RESTORE Act grant awarded to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) and approved by Governor Tate Reeves. As the nation's first statewide artificial intelligence (AI) initiative, MAIN has been pivotal in addressing Mississippi's workforce needs in AI. With the unified support of all 15 community colleges, major universities, and a diverse range of public and private partners, MAIN is building a future where AI drives economic growth and workforce development across Mississippi. MAIN provides FREE AI courses to all Mississippi residents, making a meaningful and expanding impact statewide—but MAIN's work cannot stop here. As technology advances, MAIN remains committed to upskilling and reskilling Mississippi's workforce to stay at the forefront of the AI landscape. Over the past year alone, MAIN has made remarkable strides: more than 1,600 K-12 educators enrolled in AI courses, earning over 700 CEUs, SEMIs, and OSLs for FREE. Beyond K-12, MAIN's reach extends to hundreds of professionals across sectors like cybersecurity and manufacturing, and supports higher education faculty in enhancing AI curricula. These efforts reflect MAIN's dedication to preparing Mississippi for a future where AI skills are indispensable and opportunities are boundless. MAIN extends heartfelt thanks to everyone at MGCCC who has contributed to this success and growth. Appreciation also goes to partner institutions statewide, who work tirelessly to deliver AI education to educators, students, local communities, and workforce members while establishing MAIN AI labs that inspire innovation and foster statewide advancement. Industry partnerships are invaluable to MAIN's mission. MAIN extends thanks to Intel Corporation for its continued support through the AI for Workforce curriculum, Dell Technologies for strategic advisement, and all industry and state partners who enhance MAIN's impact by sharing resources, raising awareness, and actively contributing to its initiatives. The future is bright, and the best is yet to come. Together, MAIN is setting the foundation for an AI-powered Mississippi, where today's skills evolve into tomorrow's innovations. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/emPnxN29 Learn more about MAIN and FREE AI resources here: https://mgccc.edu/MAIN https://lnkd.in/gy7GNNTb Stay connected with MAIN and Director, Dr. Kollin Napier, Ph.D.: https://lnkd.in/gk2HaTTq #MAIN #Mississippi #MississippiAI #ArtificialIntelligence #MississippiArtificialIntelligenceNetwork #HigherEducation #K12 #Workforce #WorkforceDevelopment #AIforWorkforce

"Alibaba Group Introduces Marco-o1: Towards Open Reasoning Models for Open-Ended Solutions" The Marco-o1 model, developed by Alibaba's MarcoPolo team, advances the capabilities of large reasoning models (LRMs) by focusing on open-ended problem-solving beyond traditional domains like math and coding. Leveraging innovative techniques like Chain-of-Thought fine-tuning, Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS), and reflection mechanisms, Marco-o1 explores reasoning in areas where standards and quantifiable rewards are scarce. It showcases enhanced accuracy in complex tasks, including multilingual reasoning and nuanced translation, particularly excelling in colloquial and slang language interpretations. Experimental results highlight the model's adaptability, demonstrating significant gains in reasoning accuracy with finer granularity in reasoning paths, especially in multilingual scenarios. Future plans involve refining the reward mechanisms in MCTS and exploring reinforcement learning to bolster its decision-making capabilities further. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eQze84Ne #AI #Marco #o1 #Alibaba #MarcoPolo #MachineLearning #LLM #ReasoningModels #LanguageProcessing #MCTS

Anthropic: "Powering the next generation of AI development with AWS" Anthropic has deepened its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) through a $4 billion investment, solidifying AWS as its primary cloud and training partner. This collaboration includes advancing Trainium hardware and software with Annapurna Labs, optimizing AI model training efficiency from silicon to software. Anthropic's Claude models are integral to Amazon Bedrock, providing scalable, secure AI solutions for major clients like Pfizer, Intuit, and the European Parliament. Organizations benefit from customizable AI solutions while keeping data secure within AWS. This partnership underpins the next generation of AI research and enterprise-ready solutions, blending cutting-edge AI with robust infrastructure. https://lnkd.in/gTsQv95y #AI #Anthropic #AWS #Claude #Trainium #Amazon #CloudComputing #Enterprise

OpenAI: "Advancing red teaming with people and AI" Red teaming, a structured approach to uncovering risks in AI systems, combines human expertise and automated tools to evaluate AI models for safety and robustness. OpenAI has refined its red teaming methods over the years, using external experts and powerful AI models to assess risks like misuse, cultural biases, and technical vulnerabilities. This approach involves defining test goals, selecting diverse teams of experts, and designing targeted testing strategies. Automated red teaming leverages AI to scale the detection of potential flaws but struggles with generating diverse, effective attacks. OpenAI's latest research introduces techniques to improve these methods, emphasizing diversity and relevance in testing outcomes. While red teaming identifies critical risks, its limitations—such as evolving threats and the need for advanced human expertise—highlight the necessity for ongoing development and public engagement in AI safety. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gpHqPkzu #OpenAI #AI #AISafety #RedTeaming #AIResearch #ResponsibleAI #CyberSecurity

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Another great day advancing AI in education! Thank you to the Southern Regional Education Board for hosting Dr. Kollin Napier, Ph.D., Director of the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN)—the nation's first and only statewide AI initiative—in these important discussions, representing both MAIN and Mississippi. #SREB #MAIN #Mississippi #MississippiAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Education #K12 #HigherEducation #Workforce #MississippiArtificialIntelligenceNetwork #SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

?? Mississippi, Your AI Journey Starts Here—for FREE! ?? Unlock the world of Artificial Intelligence with FREE courses through the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN)—the first and only statewide AI initiative in the nation! Whether you're an educator, professional, or student, there's something for everyone—no prior experience required. ?? Sign up today: https://lnkd.in/ggGgnTr5 MAIN, utilizing Intel Corporation's AI for Workforce curriculum, offers FREE courses like: - Intro to Artificial Intelligence - Intro to Generative AI - AI for Manufacturing - Applied Ethics for AI - AI for Cybersecurity (NEW!) - AI for Sustainability (NEW!) - With more coming soon! Earn certificates and badges as you progress! Plus, K-12 educators can earn up to 6.4 CEU or 40 SEMI or 4 OSL credits—completely FREE! ?? Stay connected with MAIN and Director, Dr. Kollin Napier, Ph.D.: https://lnkd.in/gk2HaTTq Join thousands of Mississippians enhancing their workforce skills with MAIN. Together, we're shaping the future of AI in Mississippi! ?? #MAIN #Mississippi #AI #MississippiAI #AIforEveryone #MississippiArtificialIntelligenceNetwork #K12 #HigherEducation #HigherEd #Cybersecurity #Ethics #GenAI #Manufacturing #GenerativeAI #WorkforceDevelopment #ArtificialIntelligence #Workforce #Sustainability

Dr. Kollin Napier, Ph.D., Director of the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN), had an excellent first day at the Southern Regional Education Board's (SREB) Commission on AI in Education meeting! Engaging with representatives from 16 states to discuss AI in policy, education, and workforce development has been incredibly insightful. It's been a privilege to share the impactful work of the MAIN. Looking forward to continuing these important discussions tomorrow! #SREB #MAIN #Mississippi #MississippiAI #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Education #K12 #HigherEducation #Workforce #MississippiArtificialIntelligenceNetwork #SouthernRegionalEducationBoard

MGCCC receives $7.1 Million RESTORE Act Grant to advance MAIN, nation's first statewide AI initiative Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) has received a $7.1 million RESTORE Act grant to expand the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN), the nation's first and only statewide AI initiative. MAIN unites community colleges, universities, and industry partners to drive workforce development and economic growth through AI. The grant will fund the creation of the first AI Hub on the Gulf Coast, providing training in AI, cloud computing, and data science while preparing workforce members and students for high-demand fields. This initiative positions Mississippi as a leader in AI innovation, supporting industries like healthcare, aerospace, and manufacturing while fostering long-term economic growth. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gv62DC5v #Mississippi #MAIN #MississippiAI #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #MGCCC #Workforce #WorkforceDevelopment #EconomicGrowth #Education #MississippiArtificialIntelligenceNetwork #K12 #HigherEducation

Today, Dr. Kollin Napier, Ph.D., Director of the Mississippi Artificial Intelligence Network (MAIN), had the honor of speaking at the Mississippi School Boards Association's (MSBA) Fall Leadership Conference. The conference, themed Future-Focused Leadership, provided the perfect platform for Dr. Napier to share valuable insights on artificial intelligence (AI), its transformative role in education, and its growing impact on Mississippi’s workforce. As the nation's first and only statewide AI initiative, MAIN is leading the charge in addressing the evolving needs of educators, students, and workforce members across Mississippi. Dr. Napier highlighted how MAIN is paving the way for a future-ready state equipped to thrive in an AI-driven world. A key focus of the presentation was MAIN's commitment to providing free AI resources to educators throughout Mississippi. These resources empower teachers to explore AI while earning free CEUs, SEMIs, and OSLs, supporting their professional development and fostering innovation in classrooms statewide. MAIN extends a heartfelt thank you to MSBA Executive Director Dr. Denotris Jackson, Ed.D., MSBA Board President Dr. Delores McNair, Ed.D., and the entire MSBA staff and Board of Directors for their warm hospitality. It was a privilege for Dr. Napier to engage with school board members and superintendents, learning about the incredible work being done in districts across the state. MAIN is proud to have MSBA as a valued members and looks forward to advancing AI education and workforce initiatives throughout Mississippi. Learn more about MAIN and FREE AI resources available to anyone in Mississippi: https://lnkd.in/gCvwgkzQ https://lnkd.in/gy7GNNTb https://lnkd.in/gk2HaTTq #MAIN #Mississippi #MississippiAI #MississippiArtificialIntelligenceNetwork #K12 #Education #MSBA #ArtificialIntelligence #Workforce #SchoolBoard #Superintendent