** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ALTHOUGH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)-ENABLED SOLUTIONS HOLD PROMISE TO MINIMIZE TIME WASTE AND COST WHILE INCREASING SPEED EFFICIENCY AND SAFETY IN A PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT THE RURAL FOREST INDUSTRIES ARE STILL FAR BEHIND IN LEVERAGING THE POWER OF AI IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESSES. AS THE GLOBAL DEMAND FOR FOREST PRODUCTS CONTINUES TO RISE THE NEED FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS SUCH AS AI-DRIVEN TECHNOLOGIES HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REVOLUTIONIZE OUR PRODUCTION SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES WHILE PAVING THE WAY FOR A MORE RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR FOREST PRODUCT INDUSTRIES. TO PREPARE OUR NEXT-GENERATION AGRICULTURAL AND FORESTRY WORKFORCE WITH HANDS-ON AI-DRIVEN TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCES MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY PROPOSES TO DEVELOP AN REEU PROGRAM (AI2F) IN A UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCAL FOREST-PRODUCT INDUSTRIES. GUIDED BY AN EXPERIENCED AND INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM OF FACULTIES THIS 9-WEEK AI2F PROGRAM WILL SUPPORT 12 STUDENTS/YEAR WHO WILL BE TRAINED IN DIFFERENT STAGES OF THE AI ECOSYSTEM INCLUDING DATA COLLECTION/MANAGEMENT/VISUALIZATION TO EVEN MODEL TRAINING TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT AND DEMONSTRATION. EACH STUDENT WILL BE GIVEN AN INDUSTRY-DRIVEN RESEARCH PROBLEM IN THE AREAS OF FOREST GENETICS AND WOOD PHENOTYPING WOOD PROCESSING QUALITY INSPECTION AND MONITORING SUPPLY CHAIN AND HUMAN-TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION. SPECIFIC HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR PROGRAM INCLUDE: (I) TRAINING A DIVERSIFIED SET OF UNDERREPRESENTED AND MINORITY-FOCUSED REEU FELLOWS READY TO ADVANCE THEIR CAREERS IN GRADUATE STUDIES OR FOREST-BASED INDUSTRIES; (II) INTRODUCING STATE-OF-THE-ART AI TECHNOLOGIES AND SOLUTIONS TO USE IN A FAST-PACED INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT; AND (III) DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP SKILLS INCLUDING COMMUNICATION NETWORKING CRITICAL THINKING CAPABILITIES.