I recently saw something that changed how I think about who wants to learn about artificial intelligence. In Pine Bluff, 19 people between 45 and 87 years old gathered in Trinity Episcopal Church — a building from 1866 — eager to learn how AI would change their daily lives.
Watching these seniors take notes about new technology being hosted by a 150-year-old church taught me something important: The desire to understand technology isn’t just for young tech enthusiasts.
This wasn’t what I expected when I started 7 Minute AI. But watching these seniors carefully writing down information about ChatGPT showed me something meaningful about both our current moment and Arkansas’ special opportunity.
They asked thoughtful questions about how AI might affect their Social Security benefits, whether they could trust medical information created by AI, how their grandchildren’s education would change, and what happened to their privacy when using these new tools. Their concerns were smart, practical, and deeply human.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
What impressed me most was their hunger for knowledge — their desire to understand, not fear, this quickly changing technology. They weren’t fighting against change; they simply wanted to make sense of it. And in that moment, I realized that Arkansas has an amazing opportunity ahead.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has created the Arkansas AI and Analytics Center of Excellence with forward-looking plans to prepare our state for AI. This puts Arkansas among the leaders nationwide in getting ready for an AI-changed economy. But the real innovation might be in how we put this vision into action — not just through schools and universities, but through the rich community networks that already exist across our state.
Churches, libraries, schools, community colleges and senior centers offer ready-made places for learning about technology. The skilled workers who built Trinity Episcopal Church 150 years ago learned their crafts not through universities but through hands-on training and mentorship.
We can create a similar approach for AI literacy–making complex technology understandable through trusted community spaces.
This approach offers something special: It meets people where they already are. When a 75-year-old farmer understands how AI can help grow crops better, when a small-town mechanic learns how AI can keep his business competitive, when a rural teacher discovers how AI can create better lessons despite limited resources — these aren’t just individual wins but they strengthen the whole community.
Arkansas has unique strengths that make us perfect for pioneering this inclusive approach to AI education. Our tradition of community self-reliance, our strong network of churches and faith groups, our state’s investment in internet access and our leadership’s commitment to advancing technology create perfect conditions for innovation that works for everyone.
What if Arkansas became known not just for using AI in government and business, but for making sure every Arkansan– no matter their age, location or background — could take part meaningfully in the AI revolution? What if we created an approach to technology education that other states would copy?
The seniors in that Pine Bluff church revealed something important: Understanding technology isn’t just for the young, the urban or the technically trained. When presented in relevant, accessible ways, learning about AI attracts eager students in unexpected places.
As we move forward, here are some practical next steps we could take:
With thoughtful leadership and community partnerships, Arkansas can create an AI-literate population that becomes our competitive advantage — ensuring our workers, small businesses, teachers, students, farmers and health care providers all benefit from AI’s potential while staying true to our state’s values.
The future of technology doesn’t have to widen gaps between generations, between rural and urban communities, or between tech experts and everyone else. Instead, it can bring us together — but only if we make bridge-building an intentional part of our plan.
In that historic church in Pine Bluff, I caught a glimpse of what that future might look like. Now it’s up to all of us to build it.
Just as AI helped me craft this article, these tools can help everyone become better writers, thinkers and learners. Technology like this offers a powerful opportunity to make education more accessible, personalized and effective for all Arkansans — from elementary schools to senior centers.
I encourage everyone to try these AI models for themselves. Learning these tools isn’t just about keeping up — it allows Arkansas to lead the nation in AI literacy.
Allyson White Lewis is the founder of 7 Minute AI, an AI training company focusing on AI awareness and literacy. Allyson serves on the Arkansas AI Center of Excellence Task Force. This article was developed with assistance from AI large language models like ChatGPT and CLAUDE.ai.