"In 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act and set off an education revolution. The Act established land-grant colleges across the country, democratizing higher education and equipping generations of Americans with the skills to meet the challenges of industrialization. That bold move helped transform the United States into the world's economic powerhouse."
"Today, we face a technological revolution of similar magnitude: Artificial Intelligence. Will we meet this challenge with the same boldness Lincoln displayed in 1862? To do so, we propose passing a Digital-AI Land Grant Act: a federal initiative that builds a nationwide system of universities and colleges equipped to educate and train every region for the age of AI. Just as the steam engine and electricity once altered work and society, AI will demand new skills, new institutions, and a renewed commitment to broad-based opportunity."
"We've started to take steps to address this, with President Donald J. Trump signing an Executive Order, establishing a White House Task Force on AI Education and a Presidential AI Challenge. But piecemeal efforts are not enough. A fragmented, state-by-state approach will leave too many communities behind. If America is to lead in the global AI race, and do so in a way that strengthens rather than fractures our democracy, we need a national strategy of scale and urgency."
A Digital-AI Land Grant Act would create a nationwide system of universities and colleges focused on AI education and training, modeled on the 1862 Morrill Act. The program would democratize access to AI skills, prevent concentration of prosperity in a few metro regions, and equip rural, industrial, and minority communities for technological change. Existing initiatives include an Executive Order, a White House Task Force on AI Education, and a Presidential AI Challenge, but these efforts are fragmented. A national strategy of scale and urgency is necessary to avoid worsening geographic divides, wealth concentration, and institutional mistrust.
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