Why Greater Des Moines Shouldn’t Wait for a National AI Strategy

For decades, communities across America have often looked to Washington, D.C. for direction on major economic issues. Artificial intelligence may be different.

 

During the recent Greater Des Moines Partnership’s annual trip to Washington, D.C., I attended a policy workshop focused on AI Regional Readiness and Economic Growth, featuring Brookings Metro’s Joe Parilla and moderated by Capital Crossroads Executive Director Kaity Patchett. While the discussion centered on artificial intelligence, the conversation was really about something much larger: economic competitiveness, workforce preparedness, and the choices communities must make today to remain relevant tomorrow.

I left the session with a surprising conclusion. The regions that thrive in the age of artificial intelligence may not be the ones that wait for a national strategy. Instead, they will be the communities that begin building their own strategies now and, in doing so, help shape the national conversation.

Artificial intelligence is advancing at a pace that few governments, institutions, or organizations can match. While federal standards and policies will eventually emerge, comprehensive national frameworks often take years to develop. The technology itself is moving much faster. Communities that choose to wait for Washington to provide all the answers, risk falling behind those that are already taking action.

 

This reality creates both a challenge and an opportunity for Greater Des Moines.

 

One statistic presented during the workshop immediately caught my attention. Research indicates that approximately 36 percent of jobs in the Des Moines region are highly exposed to AI-driven automation, disruption, or augmentation. The national average is closer to 30 percent. At first glance, that figure may seem alarming. However, it is also a reflection of the very strengths that have fueled our region’s growth. Greater Des Moines is home to a significant concentration of insurance, financial services, healthcare, professional services, and other knowledge-based industries that are expected to be among the first sectors transformed by artificial intelligence.

 

The question is not whether AI will impact our economy. It already is. The more important question is whether we are preparing for the opportunities and disruptions that lie ahead.

 

Throughout history, the communities that have benefited most from technological change were not necessarily those with the newest technology. They were the communities that invested early in people, skills, infrastructure, leadership, and collaboration. Artificial intelligence will be no different.

 

The workshop highlighted several factors that will shape the future AI economy, including energy production, semiconductor manufacturing, data center development, workforce readiness, and technology adoption. By some estimates, AI-related computing could account for between 4 and 12 percent of total energy consumption by 2028. More than $600 billion has already been committed nationally toward semiconductor and related infrastructure investments. While headlines often focus on applications like ChatGPT or Claude, the AI economy is also being built through significant investments in physical infrastructure that will influence economic development for decades to come.

 

 

Across the country, communities are already charting their own paths. Tulsa has emerged as a national leader by building a focused strategy around mobility, autonomy, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Cleveland has become a model for convening business leaders, educational institutions, workforce organizations, nonprofits, and government partners around a shared vision for the future. Neither city is waiting for permission to act. Neither assumes that innovation belongs exclusively to the coasts. Instead, they are proving that communities willing to collaborate can position themselves as leaders in the next economy.

 

Our region possesses many of the ingredients necessary to succeed. We have globally recognized companies, innovative entrepreneurs, strong educational institutions, engaged nonprofit organizations, and a long history of public-private collaboration. We have built one of the strongest regional economies in the Midwest by bringing diverse stakeholders together to solve complex challenges. Artificial intelligence presents another opportunity to do exactly that.

 

The first step is not creating a perfect plan. The first step is creating a shared vision. What does an AI-ready Greater Des Moines look like? How many businesses do we want adopting AI tools in ways that enhance human productivity and create new opportunities for growth? How do we help small and midsized businesses understand and implement emerging technologies? How do we ensure workers gain the skills needed to thrive in an evolving economy? How do we expose students to AI through internships, job shadowing, and hands-on learning experiences so they are prepared for the careers of tomorrow? How do we help organizations embrace innovation while ensuring that people remain at the center of progress?

 

These are not questions for a single organization to answer. Business leaders, educational institutions, workforce organizations, nonprofits, chambers of commerce, economic development groups, and government partners all have important roles to play. The communities that succeed will be those that build the civic infrastructure necessary to support technological change.

 

In many ways, artificial intelligence represents the next great economic development challenge of our generation. It will create disruption, but it will also create opportunity. The communities that proactively prepare their people and businesses will be best positioned to capture the benefits. Greater Des Moines has never been a community content to follow others. We have consistently demonstrated that collaboration, innovation, and bold thinking can drive meaningful progress. Artificial intelligence presents another opportunity to lead. Rather than waiting for a national strategy to emerge, perhaps Greater Des Moines should be asking a different question:

 

What would it take for our region to become a national model for AI readiness?