Jackson, MS - The State of Mississippi, through the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS), is partnering with InnovateUS to bring free, practical artificial intelligence training opportunities for state employees. The training will support the statewide AI strategy of preparing all staff to responsibly and effectively use of AI in government and reinforce the principles established in the ITS Acceptable Use Policy for Artificial Intelligence.
InnovateUS provides online learning for public service professionals, developed by public service professionals, on data, digital, innovation, and AI skills. Its courses emphasize practical, responsible, and evidence-based approaches to adopting emerging technologies in government. Effective November 25, 2025, the ITS Acceptable Use Policy for Artificial Intelligence establishes requirements and guidelines for the responsible implementation and use of AI technologies within ITS. The policy recognizes AI's potential to modernize government operations and improve productivity while emphasizing that AI should complement—not replace—employee expertise, judgment, and responsibility. It establishes principles addressing responsible and ethical use, transparency, employee oversight, privacy and data protection, safety and security, accountability, fairness, accuracy, accessibility, and auditability.
The partnership with InnovateUS will help translate those principles into practical skills for Mississippi's public-sector workforce. Through self-paced courses, including the Responsible AI for Public Sector Professionals course series, and live learning opportunities, employees can build a stronger understanding of how generative AI works, where it can create value, and how to recognize and manage the risks associated with its use. Training will reinforce several important practices reflected in the ITS policy, including protecting personally identifiable and nonpublic information, using AI only for appropriate and authorized purposes, critically evaluating AI-generated information, and maintaining human oversight of AI-assisted work. The policy specifically requires employees to review AI-generated content before it is shared, published, or acted upon and makes clear that AI should not be assumed to be truthful, credible, or accurate or relied upon as the sole basis for final decisions.
As Stephanie Hedgepeth, Chief Strategy Officer of ITS stated, "As artificial intelligence becomes a more common part of the way government works, our responsibility is to ensure employees are prepared to use it thoughtfully, securely, and effectively. This partnership with InnovateUS gives Mississippi state employees practical tools to understand both the opportunities and the risks of AI while reinforcing a simple principle: technology can strengthen public service, but accountability, judgment, and responsibility remain with the people who serve our citizens."
Training is available beginning October 21.