Heartland Forward appoints John Bailey as first AI fellow

Heartland Forward, a Bentonville-based think-and-do tank, said Monday (April 27) that John Bailey, a nationally recognized leader on technology and public policy, will be the organization’s first artificial intelligence (AI) fellow.

Bailey will support Heartland Forward’s AI Caucus and other AI-related efforts to advance responsible AI use and “position the heartland as a national leader in AI-driven economic growth,” according to a news release. The heartland region comprises 20 central U.S. states, including Arkansas.

“AI is quickly reshaping industries, jobs, and economies — and the heartland is well positioned to lead what comes next,” said Angie Cooper, president of Heartland Forward. “We have the talent, the ideas, and the momentum to seize this opportunity. John brings the experience to turn that potential into real results and ensure AI delivers for our states and communities.”

As the organization’s AI fellow, Bailey will help inform policy conversations around AI as a tool for economic competitiveness in the heartland region. He will contribute to Heartland Forward’s AI research and “Pulse of the Heartland” publication, and offer advisory support to the organization’s AI Caucus, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers and executive leaders working to advance smart AI use, the release shows.

Bailey will support caucus priorities and programs, provide insight on emerging federal and state AI developments, and contribute to strategies for heartland communities.

“AI represents one of the most significant opportunities for economic growth and innovation in the heartland, and decisions about how to move forward should be shaped by the residents and communities it will impact most,” Bailey said. “The question is not whether the heartland participates, but whether it leads. That will depend on the choices policymakers and local leaders make now – how they build talent, adopt these tools, and create the conditions for innovation.”

Bailey has experience in government, philanthropy and the private sector, advising entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers on emerging technologies. He has helped create and implement investment strategies for philanthropies and venture funds, supporting founders and building the partnerships, capital pathways and policy alignment needed to scale impact. Earlier in his career, Bailey served as a domestic policy adviser in the White House, deputy policy director at the U.S. Department of Commerce, and director of educational technology at the U.S. Department of Education.