America's Heartland Responds To AI

Forbes

4 days ago

Illustrated pictorial map of Midwest United States. Includes Wisconsin, Michigan, Missouri, ... More Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Vector Illustration.
There's a romantic view of the 'heartland of America' that casts it as a place contrasted with the high-tech east and west coasts of the country - a place where life is different, where old-fashioned values may hold sway, and traditional practices prevail.
But these days, it seems like this area of the country is opening up its hearts and minds to artificial intelligence.
There are all kinds of indicators that AI is catching on in the American Midwest and other places that have traditionally been behind the curve when it comes to technology.
A Building Boom
One example is the massive investment in automated factories in places like Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana – where, for example, automated John Deere tractors are pumped off of manufacturing lines, and facilities use AI for predictive maintenance and quality control.
Then there's also better workforce development at places like University of Michigan and Purdue, and other regional schools.
Hyperscaler facilities are being built in places like Cincinnati – data centers are popping up in areas of Ohio and Pennsylvania that are far from where the original titans of industry pioneered the personal computer and related innovations in cities like Palo Alto and across the Simi Valley in southern California.
AWS is planning a $7.8 billion investment in Ohio. That's just one example of how this is working out for Midwestern cities.
'The new data centers will contain computer servers, data storage drives, networking equipment, and other forms of technology infrastructure used to power cloud computing, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning,' explains a press release from Ohio governor Mike DeWine, in conjunction with the state Department of Development and other partners.
This promises to breathe life into the regional economy, and will probably showcase the area's communities to outsiders in new ways.
The Benefits of Midwestern AI
As analysts see an 'AI gold rush' to the Midwest, experts are coming up with various reasons why companies are making these moves. It's not just about money and cheaper real estate. As writer Ryan Kelsey points out in an article at Centergrid, there are nuclear and hydroelectric energy systems in place in these areas, and more land and water for infrastructure design. The temperate climate is also another plus.
Kelsey also explains how Cincinnati is a particular hub for national data because of its location.
'Cincinnati lies within 600 miles of 60% of the U.S. population, making it an ideal location for low-latency AI applications that need to serve users across the country quickly,' Kelsey writes. 'The city is already a major internet hub with multiple fiber providers and direct connections to national backbone networks. This existing infrastructure can be leveraged immediately, rather than built from scratch.'
Studies on Heartland Adoption
Recently, an organization called Heartland Forward commissioned two studies, one in June 2024, and another one in April 2025, on AI in the heartland.
How did things change?
Researchers reported 34% of respondents interested in June, and 68% in April, a doubling of positivity around the tech. Study writers characterize this as 'more than just a passing curiosity' and note that the biggest swell of enthusiasm was in respondents from adults aged 35 to 44.
On the other hand, a majority reported anxiety about AI in the workplace. However, a majority of surveyed workers indicated they want employers to offer training.
The study goes into policy and public sentiment, too.
All of this is suggestive of changes across this section of America. It may be that the AI revolution is going to supercharge the economies in places like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Youngstown, which could cause some chagrin for a new generation who equates the name of the state, Ohio, as a slang term for backwardness.
The rust belt may become a new Silicon Valley, which would boost the quality of life for millions of Americans living in that area.
We'll see how this shakes out as we continue to move through 2025. The first half of this year has been the focus of breakneck development and probably part of the cusp of the critical mass point for exponential AI. That's only going to continue as time goes on.