S.D., Northern Plains Trail Nation in AI Adoption
In Brief: South Dakota is at the bottom of the nation in adopting artificial intelligence, according to recent studies
By Todd Epp, Northern Plains News
New studies show South Dakota, Wyoming, and Kansas lag far behind in artificial intelligence use and efficiency, raising concerns the region may repeat the digital divide of the 1990s.
Why It Matters:
The findings highlight a widening digital divide across the Northern Plains. While AI is now a mainstream tool for work, study, and communication, the region’s lagging adoption means fewer productivity gains and risks repeating the broadband gap of the 1990s.
The reports found that Washington, D.C., leads the country in overall AI use, while Rhode Island ranks first in efficiency. States across the Midwest — especially South Dakota, Wyoming, and Kansas — trail well behind, according to studies published Sept. 4 by Digital Information World and Aug. 8 by Phrasly.ai.
South Dakota residents save an average of just 0.81 hours per month using AI tools, the lowest figure in the country, Phrasly.ai found. By comparison, Rhode Islanders save more than 32 hours monthly, nearly a full workweek, according to Digital Information World. South Dakotans also spend the least time per session, just over 10 minutes, compared to Delaware’s 17 minutes, the nation’s highest, Digital Information World reported.
Wyoming users save about 1.1 hours per month, and Kansas users about 2.8 hours, according to Phrasly.ai. Analysts said these states may benefit from AI training programs, especially for business users, Digital Information World reported.
The reports also showed that high usage does not always equal efficiency. Washington, D.C., records the most sessions but only saves 7.5 hours a month, Phrasly.ai said. Rhode Island, with fewer sessions, is far more efficient.
Only half of business projects using AI succeed, often depending on whether organizations adapt operations and data systems, according to a separate study by Infosys Knowledge Institute cited by Digital Information World.
AI usage patterns also vary. South Dakota and neighboring states see peak activity around 5 p.m., suggesting residents turn to AI at the end of the workday, according to Phrasly.ai. Nationwide, Monday at 8 p.m. is the most common usage time, Digital Information World found.
Oregon, Vermont and Delaware log in earlier in the workday, while Pennsylvania and Idaho peak at night, Digital Information World reported. No state saw weekends as its busiest time, according to Digital Information World.
In Wyoming, the University of Wyoming has launched the “AI4WY” initiative to prepare a workforce skilled in artificial intelligence and apply the technology to energy and agriculture, Digital Information World reported.
Analysts warned that without similar programs, Northern Plains states risk repeating the digital divide of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Digital Information World said.Artificial intelligence has become mainstream, from generating text to assisting in health care and education.
But how much Americans benefit depends heavily on where they live, the reports concluded. For the Northern Plains, catching up may take investment, training and cultural change, according to Digital Information World and Phrasly.ai.
It’s always fun to see the ever evolving process of gently cajoling workforce members to happily take on the tasks associated with major workforce size reduction, and loss of jobs. The goal of course is to pull business costs to rock bottom, and let the saved dollars geyser upward to the owners and stockholders, to hopefully pay a dividend as well as cover new investment in plant and people.
I don’t begrudge owners any cost cutting they want to do, we just need to call things what they are.
It takes staffers’ time for them to train AI bots to perform various busywork, to “free up humans for greater creativity” or whatever happy talk expresses the desired goal.
There is much we don’t know about the ultimate potential of AI, so let’s take time to dig into it for ourselves.
A-One is born in Data Centers. After watching a few Legislators and many Boomers, it is clear, South Dakota don’t need these Gubmint Data Centers sucking up all of our water and electricity. Let’s not evolve…………..the world needs ditch diggers too.
South Dakotans don’t use AI until five pm?
How does anybody know how much AI we use?
I use AI every day to check air quality and weather. I’m not saving any time at all checking to see if I should go outside, open the windows, cover tender plants or need to hunker down in the basement. Saving time is not the objective.