Opinion: The Midwest can do AI right

Thomas Douglas

I was in California for the Abundance360 conference, talking to some of the brightest AI teams on the planet. Their takeaway? “You have to treat these agents like your kids. Or like new employees. You have to onboard them with your ethics, your foundations, your voice.” 

Agents, by the way, are artificial intelligence-powered tools that can take on tasks, make decisions and even interact with customers. Think of them like digital employees.

So, consider this: Would you buy an off-the-shelf employee, plug them into your customer calls and expect them to behave? Of course not. You spend weeks (sometimes months) instilling core values: honesty, integrity, teamwork. You teach them how to treat customers, how to represent your brand. So, why do anything different with AI? 

Over the next couple of years, we’re going to build datasets that tell our story. Real conversations. Real interactions. We’ll train models on what “good” looks like. And, just as importantly, what “never” looks like. 

Superman’s moral compass
Here’s a metaphor I stole from a smarter friend: When Superman landed on Earth, he wasn’t Superman yet. He was just an alien baby. His powers alone wouldn’t make him a hero. His family taught him his moral compass: to serve humans, to treat people well. 

But what if he had landed in a mob-run neighborhood? He’d have learned that power means take what you want. He’d be a villain. That’s why we need to train our AI with Midwest values: community over competition, hard work, integrity, neighborliness and honesty.

The region’s AI advantage
Silicon Valley’s approach often looks like a secret lab: lock the doors, guard the data, then launch a product and hope for the best. We don’t do that here. Our advantage is our DNA: 

• Community over competition. When one of us wins, we all win. We share learnings freely.
• Hard work and integrity. We don’t cut corners. We set guardrails so our AI tools reflect our ethics, and never just our bottom line.
• Neighborliness and teamwork. We know our neighbors’ names and pain points. That means we build AI solutions that serve real people with real problems.
• Honesty. Transparency in data and models builds lasting trust. We’re only using information that gives us the best insight into what levers need to be pulled, and when to pull them to make the most impact.

That’s why SMBs in the 417 are the perfect test beds for people-first AI. We’re lean, we pivot fast, and we’ve got a built-in feedback loop with our community. 

From Ozark Tech’s team teaching coding and robotics, Missouri State’s data science and engineering programs training the next wave of AI talent, to the Efactory helping startups turn ideas into real-world solutions, to how we’re already using AI at JMark to reduce response times and stop cyber threats before they spread – Springfield isn’t just ready for this moment. We were made for it. Because here, innovation isn’t about disruption for disruption’s sake. It’s about building tools that serve people. That reflect our values. That make our neighbors’ lives easier, safer and better.

An SMB game plan

1. Pick one task. Find a repetitive, time-sucking process – like ticket routing or report generation – and automate it.
2. Onboard your agent. Document an ethical checklist before you train. What data can you use? How will you protect privacy? What behavior is nonnegotiable?
3. Train with values. Feed your model real customer interactions annotated with your core values. Teach it how to say no when something crosses the line.
4. Share and iterate. Talk through wins and failures. Celebrate the lessons.

Measure hard metrics (time saved, error rate), but also human metrics like customer satisfaction and team morale. AI is about people as much as it is about code.

A global blueprint 
Let’s be blunt. Big budgets and big egos don’t guarantee better solutions. Many flashy, coast-backed pilots flame out because they lost touch with real customer needs. Meanwhile, our home-grown projects thrive, because they’re built on honest questions and practical answers. 

So, here’s my challenge to you: Don’t wait. Shape the future based on our values. I firmly believe the rest of the world will be looking to Springfield and the 417 for the blueprint on positive, people-first technology. 

We must do our best to design our lives – and our technology systems – so we’re the batteries powering everyone around us. Over the next 10 years, we’re going to need strong leaders at their best. AI is here and it’s evolving. Fast. So, let’s shape it with our values, not just react to it with our budgets. 

Thomas Douglas is the CEO of JMark. He can be reached at tom@jmark.com.