Governor Healey Announces Massachusetts AI Hub to Make State
Global Leader in Applied AI Innovation
Leveraging the Mass Leads Act, Initiative Will Support
Game-Changing AI Research, Drive Business Growth, Train a Workforce of
Tomorrow, and Harness AI to Advance Solutions to World’s Greatest
Challenges
BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey launched the
Massachusetts AI Hub, a groundbreaking effort to make Massachusetts a national
leader in artificial intelligence innovation. This pioneering initiative will
drive cutting-edge collaboration between government, industry, startups and
academia, pursue solutions to the world’s most critical challenges, and unlock
economic opportunity for businesses and residents across the state.
The Massachusetts AI Hub will be
established at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), the
state’s quasi-public economic development agency focused on advancing
technology and innovation and will leverage resources authorized in the Mass
Leads Act to support AI initiatives and the creation of an AI Hub in
Massachusetts.
 |
|
 |
|
As part of today’s announcement, made during an event with
leaders from the AI ecosystem at the Museum of Science in Boston, the
Healey-Driscoll Administration also unveiled a
partnership with the nonprofit Massachusetts Green High Performance Computer
Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke to expand access to sustainable
high-performance computing that is necessary for AI innovation. Through the
partnership, public and private higher education institutions, startups and
businesses in the innovation ecosystem, and the residents of Massachusetts will
be able to access this vital infrastructure.
This partnership will involve joint investments from Massachusetts and MGHPCC
partner universities that are expected to exceed more than $100 million over the next five years as it
scales.
 |
|
“Since the founding of our country, Massachusetts has
pioneered revolutionary innovations that changed human history, from developing
the first computer to creating lifesaving vaccines. Today, we are building on
that longstanding legacy with the Massachusetts AI Hub,” said Governor Maura
Healey. “Through the AI Hub, we will set the standard for AI development by
supporting trailblazing research, attracting and retaining unparalleled AI
talent, and transforming our state into the global leader in applied AI innovation,
solving the greatest challenges facing our society today.”
 |
|
“We have an opportunity to make our state the best place in
the world for collaborative and responsible AI innovation,” said Lieutenant
Governor Kim Driscoll. “The Massachusetts AI Hub draws from our state's
existing strengths, including our unparalleled innovation ecosystem,
world-class universities, highly skilled talent, and revolutionary spirit, to
advance transformative technologies and power economic opportunity for
all.”
The Massachusetts AI Hub will serve as the central entity for coordinating and managing key assets
required for AI innovation, including data resources, high-performance
computer power and interdisciplinary research. Convening Massachusetts’
world-class ecosystem of talent, industry and academia, the AI Hub will
accelerate research, foster homegrown industry from our universities and
colleges, deploy AI for real-world applications, and train our state’s current
and future workforce.
The framework for the Massachusetts AI Hub is informed by
recommendations from the state’s AI Strategic Task
Force, which the governor established in February
2024 to explore how the Healey-Driscoll administration can best support
AI adoption and innovation to drive economic growth. The AI Strategic Task
Force, co-chaired by the Executive Office of Economic Development and Executive
Office of Technology Services and Security in partnership with the City of
Boston and the University of Massachusetts, and comprised of representatives
from universities, industry, and state and local government, presented its
final recommendations to the governor today. The full report is available here.
“The Massachusetts AI Hub will position our state and its
people to be more competitive while setting the standard in how to apply AI to
solve real-world problems facing society,” said Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, AI Strategic Task Force Co-Chair.
“Massachusetts is moving forward with a sense of urgency given the economic
stakes. By harnessing the potential of AI, Massachusetts can power economic
growth for our businesses, universities and residents.”
“Today’s announcements represent the culmination of many
collaborative efforts that firmly cement Massachusetts state government as a
leader in emerging technology: from the recommendations of the AI Task Force
that encourage state government to continue innovating under strong policy
frameworks, to continuing our higher education AI partnership with the faculty
and students at UMass-Amherst to accelerate that responsible innovation,” said
Technology Services and Security Secretary Jason
Snyder, AI Strategic Task Force Co-Chair. “We are truly fortunate to
have committed partners across the ecosystem, dedicated to our shared vision.
While today is a day to celebrate, it is also a day to look forward and
strategize how we come together to move this vision into reality.”
“I am deeply honored to have served as co-chair of the AI
Task Force and to have collaborated with such an extraordinary group of leaders
and experts from across the Commonwealth,” said UMass
CIO and Task Force Co-Chair Michael Milligan. “AI will undoubtedly
impact – if it hasn’t already – every industry and every individual in the
Commonwealth. By prioritizing equity and access, and developing strategies for
responsible and effective AI use, we can ensure that AI serves as a force for
good. We believe that these recommendations provide a strong foundation for a
future where AI benefits everyone in the Commonwealth.”
“Boston is a global hub for talent that wants to do good,”
said City of Boston CIO and Task Force Co-Chair
Santiago Garces. “The exciting investments in computation that uses
clean energy sources, and the strengthening of our AI ecosystem in Boston and
the Commonwealth will contribute to the continued growth. Beyond this
milestone, we will work to ensure that our workers and communities see the
benefits by having access to trainings and to tools. With a plan based on
values, Boston and Massachusetts will keep growing and attracting the best
talent and the best companies.”
Aligning with recommendations in the AI Strategic Task Force
report, the AI Hub will center on three core components:
Infrastructure: The AI Hub
will expand access to the high-performance computing that is critical for
developing and deploying AI technologies, enabling researchers and businesses
to scale their AI projects. The AI Hub will also establish a central location
for high-quality datasets, which are essential for AI development, and promote
data sharing across industries.
Innovation and Talent Ecosystem:
Through grants, technical assistance and other resources, the AI Hub will
promote interdisplinary research and partnerships between
academia and industry; entrepreneurship programs and accelerators to support AI
startups; AI adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and
workforce development initiatives that align with industry needs, retain and
attract top AI talent, and ensure that the Massachusetts workforce is prepared
for the future.
Equity and Values: The AI Hub
will champion and accelerate the equitable and ethical development and
deployment of AI across the state economy, supporting initiatives that reflect
our state’s values and providing a clear benefit to the public that it serves.
As part of today’s announcement, the Healey-Driscoll
administration also launched a new partnership with
UMass Amherst to recruit a cohort of students to work full-time in
collaboration with Massachusetts state agencies on experiential AI projects for
social good. The program builds on the success of InnovateMA,
through which the administration partnered with Northeastern University
to deploy co-op students to work alongside state agency partners to improve the
delivery of services and programs for Massachusetts residents using AI. In
addition to serving as an accelerator of state adoption of GenAI, these higher
ed partnerships are a successful talent pipeline for the state; the majority of
the first student cohort have come to work in agencies as either interns or
full-time staff members.
"MassTech is focused on building a strong coalition of
thought leaders from across the entrepreneurial community, academia and
industry to understand how artificial intelligence can advance our shared
priorities,” said Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative CEO Carolyn Kirk. “We want to thank the Healey-Driscoll
administration for creating this hub and recognizing AI’s potential to
transform industries and unlock a new future for innovation and technology in
our state."
"Making productive and responsible use of AI will be a
long and challenging journey. We are
delighted to be part of this bold step by the Healey-Driscoll administration to
bring the combined energy and insights of government, industry and academia
together to deliver near term progress, tempered by a long-term view,” said
John Goodhue, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Green High Performance
Computing Center.
Last week, Governor Healey celebrated the signing of the
Mass Leads Act, a far-reaching, $4 billion economic development bill that
authorizes $100 million to support the Massachusetts AI Hub. This Massachusetts
AI Hub will also leverage other tools from the Mass Leads Act, such as the $1
billion, 10-year extension of the life sciences initiative; the new 10-year, $1
billion climatetech strategy; and $115 million for the Massachusetts TechHub
Program for investments in key technology areas, modeled on the U.S. Economic
Development Administration’s Regional Technology and Innovation Program. For
more information about the Mass Leads Act, please visit
www.mass.gov/economic-development-bill.
Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center:
The Massachusetts Green High Performance
Computing Center (MGHPCC) in Holyoke is a joint venture of Boston University,
Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, the University of Massachusetts system and Yale,
serving more than 20,000 faculty and student researchers and educators.
Resources housed at the MGHPCC enable its users to perform millions of virtual
experiments each month. MGHPCC is also the first university research data
center ever to achieve LEED Platinum Certification, the highest level awarded
by the Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Program. It is powered by hydroelectric from the Holyoke Gas and Electric
Company along the Connecticut River and the design of the facility also
maximizes energy efficiency.
