Governor announces IN-AI initiative to help Indiana businesses adopt human-centered AI

The governor announced IN-AI, a state-led partnership aimed at helping Indiana businesses adopt human-centered artificial intelligence to grow wages and create higher-quality jobs, and set a target of reaching 1 million Hoosiers, officials said.

"This program will help businesses adopt AI in practical ways," the governor said, arguing the initiative is designed to "put people first" and equip workers with tools and skills rather than replace them.

The program, officials said, will prioritize Main Street businesses while also engaging larger employers and will be deployed across all 15 economic re-regions of the state through a mix of in-person engagement and virtual access. The governor said the state plans to hold itself accountable to the 1 million-person target.

Officials cited recent analyses to justify the effort: the governor said workers using AI tools reported saving "about an hour a day," and that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had found 50% of small businesses using AI reported a competitive benefit. Those findings were presented as supporting evidence for workforce-focused AI training but no supporting reports or citations were provided in the remarks.

David Adams, Indiana's secretary of commerce, said the state is "in a strong position" with low unemployment and growing economy and described IN-AI as an employer-led, productivity-focused effort. "This is human-centered AI. This is about equipping people, not replacing them," Adams said, and said the initiative builds on last August's "Power Up" upskilling work.

Adams and the governor identified partners that will help reach employers, including the Indiana Corporate Partnership (CICP) and the Indiana Chamber. Officials said those partners bring industry networks and reach across sectors and regions; they did not specify funding sources, a program budget, or an implementation timeline during the remarks.

The announcement focused on outreach and workforce training rather than new regulation or direct subsidies. Officials described the initiative as practical and operational—helping firms move from interest in AI to real-world applications inside businesses—but left the program's budget, staffing, and specific training curricula "not specified" in their comments.

The remarks ended with thanks to partners and an invitation for follow-up questions; no formal actions or deadlines were announced on the record.