Artificial intelligence isn’t the future. It’s now, and whether we’re ready or not, it’s reshaping how we work, learn, and live.
At Generation West Virginia’s recent Pathways to Progress conference, we convened a panel of leaders across policy, education, industry, and design to ask: how can West Virginia not only keep up with AI, but lead the way?
The answer was clear: we have what we need, we just need to act like it.
1. A Statewide Strategy: Prioritizing AI from the Top Down
Josh Spence, Chair of the West Virginia Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Chief Information Officer at Alpha Innovations, made it clear: “AI is the priority.”
The task force, formed under Governor Justice and continuing under Governor Morrissey, is charged with guiding West Virginia’s executive and legislative branches on AI strategy. For Spence, preparing for an AI-driven economy starts with infrastructure. “Broadband is not a nice-to-have. It is a must-have,” he emphasized.
But beyond connectivity, the focus is on preparing people: “We’re in a paradigm shift where education must train students for jobs that don’t yet exist,” Spence said. He described AI’s transformative potential as equal in impact to the printing press or the first flight, signaling a need for West Virginia to build both the foundation and flexibility required to adapt quickly.
2. Building Talent Pipelines Through Higher Education
Recognizing the rising demand for AI fluency, Dr. Vincent Smith and the University of Charleston are leading the charge in higher education. This fall, the university will launch a new AI major within its Computer Science program, an initiative driven largely by employer demand.
“Our new major is designed to prepare students not only to use AI, but to understand and shape its future,” Dr. Vincent Smith, Program Director of Computer Science and Data Analytics, said. “We emphasize ethical development, real-world applications, and interdisciplinary collaboration—ensuring our graduates are not just tech-savvy, but thoughtful, well-rounded problem-solvers ready to innovate across industries.”
The curriculum is designed not just to teach tools, but to prepare students to shape the future of AI. That includes hands-on internships and capstone projects with West Virginia startups like Rhetoric, which uses AI to help legal professionals analyze past court decisions.
“Our students are working directly with real businesses, applying AI in meaningful ways,” said Smith. “We’re not just preparing them for jobs, we’re preparing them to define the future of work.”
3. AI in Action: Supporting Creative Industries
Ryan McClain, Director of Creative Design and Planning at Mills Group, offered a practical look at how AI is already being used in architecture and design.
For McClain’s firm, AI isn’t replacing creativity; it’s helping communicate it more clearly. “When a client says they want something ‘rustic modern,’ that can mean a hundred things,” he explained. Now, using image-generation tools like MidJourney, his team can show clients AI-generated concepts in real time. “It helps us get on the same page instantly. That saves weeks of design time.”
AI, he emphasized, is a tool, not a threat. “It doesn’t design the building for us. It just helps clarify vision, reduce misunderstandings, and deliver better work faster.”
4. Microsoft’s Insight: Mapping AI Investments and Opportunities
To kick off the panel, Jared Brown, Director of Talent Policy at Microsoft, shared data from a new AI Investment in Higher Education Index, a national tool still in beta. The results reveal both a challenge and an opportunity for West Virginia.
While the state ranks last nationally in total AI investment received, 80% of its $10 million in funding came from state-level commitment, an unusually high proportion. “That shows real buy-in at the state level,” said Brown. “And it positions West Virginia to pivot quickly if the right infrastructure and partnerships are in place.”
Brown also emphasized the importance of transparency and strategy: “You need to know where AI dollars are going, whether it’s a research lab at WVU or teaching and learning at UC. And you need to spot the gaps.”
A Call to Action: West Virginia’s Moment
So how do we lead?
Josh Spence said it best, “West Virginia’s size is an asset. We don’t need six degrees of separation to get something done.”
When policy, education, employers, and communities work together, things happen fast.
But that takes trust. It takes risk. And it takes stepping into the unknown without fear.
As McClain reminded us, “AI is just a friend you haven’t met yet.”
If we want to build an economy that works for West Virginians, that keeps our young people here, and that grows with the industries of tomorrow, we can’t think of AI as a threat, and we have to start treating it like the tool it is.
The technology is here. The talent is here. And, perhaps for the first time in a long time, the opportunity is here.