HILTON HEAD, SC (March 24, 2025) – Palmetto Applied Research Council, an affiliate of South Carolina Council on Competitiveness (SC Competes), hosted a pivotal roundtable discussion on Artificial Intelligence (AI) on February 28 – March 1, 2025, at the University of South Carolina-Beaufort’s Hospitality Campus on Hilton Head Island.

The AI roundtable included SC policymakers, representatives from SC Department of Administration and South Carolina’s newly-formed State Government IT Center of Excellence, SC Competes, SC Department of Commerce, South Carolina Research Authority (SCRA), Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), and senior-level leadership from the state’s three Research Universities (Clemson University, Medical University of South Carolina, and University of South Carolina). The gathering concluded with significant outcomes that will help shape the future of the state’s AI development and implementation across South Carolina.

Representative Jeff Bradley, Chair of the SC House Regulations, Administrative Procedures, Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Committee, delivered an insightful keynote address to kick off the roundtable, reinforcing the SC General Assembly’s commitment to advancing AI innovation within South Carolina.

“This collaborative effort marks a pivotal moment in our state’s technological advancement,” said Rep. Bradley. “By leveraging our research institutions and fostering cross-sector collaboration, we can drive applied AI innovation, train (and retain) a competitive AI workforce, and position South Carolina as “AI Ready” to attract talent, business, and investment opportunities.”

Susie Shannon, President of Palmetto Applied Research Council/SC Competes, noted that South Carolina is already positioning itself as a vibrant AI economy in serving as a national model for AI-specific curriculum and workforce training, with an emphasis on integrating AI across disciplines and aligning with business needs, and in providing resources to South Carolina companies to develop AI solutions in their businesses and to enhance their market products and services, such as through its SC Fraunhofer Alliance applied research program offered through SC Competes.

South Carolina’s colleges and universities are already engaged in substantial AI post-secondary education and research & development initiatives. SC Competes and the 16-state SREB Commission on Artificial Intelligence, which is co-chaired by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster and on which Rep. Bradley and SC Competes serve, are currently developing comprehensive recommendations for K-12 education, with a focus on transforming teaching, learning, and research approaches to address the challenges and opportunities presented by an AI-driven economy.

Examples of South Carolina’s additional AI assets and activities include:

  • University of South Carolina-Beaufort: Crafting of guidelines for AI integration in research and responsible AI use across academic programs.
  • University of South Carolina-Columbia: Leveraging USC’s broad, multidisciplinary approach to AI research and development to catalyze transformative initiatives for the Palmetto State in support of STEM education, healthcare, energy research and long-term economic and national security.
  • Clemson University: Competitive strength in high-performance computing capacity, an established AI institute to foster collaborative interdisciplinary research and workforce development initiatives, and a growing portfolio of research related to human-AI teaming and adaptation in healthcare, manufacturing, advanced materials, energy, education and agriculture, among other sectors.
  • Medical University of South Carolina: Aiming to leverage AI to define new and more effective health care delivery models that will expand access, enhance patient care, fuel innovation and build the SC knowledge-based economy.

Rep. Bradley noted that these innovation-forward research initiatives complement with his broader efforts to position South Carolina as a leader in the evolving AI landscape, and that South Carolina’s comprehensive AI strategy, with its strategic focus on both frontier and applied AI technologies, will serve to advance a shared, aggressive focus in shaping South Carolina’s AI-enabled economy in industry areas such as advanced energy, healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing.

Other activities discussed included building a cohesive statewide AI infrastructure network to facilitate resource-sharing and to advance structured partnerships across the state’s colleges and universities to enhance collaborations to align with economic development and industry needs.

This roundtable marks a significant step toward establishing South Carolina as a premier destination for AI research and application. Moving forward, the state will continue to drive initiatives that support AI innovation, workforce development, and economic advancement.