Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan just moved to the front row of the AI economy

In Bowling Green, BGSU’s new AI + X bachelor’s degree lets students pair AI with disciplines like history, journalism, PR, physics, and more – building talent that can apply AI in real domains, not just in code. EdScoop+3Bowling Green State University+3Bowling Green State University+3

At the same time:

• Meta is investing $800M in an AI-optimized data center campus just north of Bowling Green. JobsOhio+2Baxtel+2

• OpenAI + Oracle + Related Digital are planning a multi-billion-dollar Stargate data center in Saline Township, MI, with thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent roles. WDIV+5Axios+5Detroit Regional Chamber+5

  
  

Links for context:🔗 BGSU AI + X program: https://www.bgsu.edu/academics/artificial-intelligence-ai-x.html🔗 Meta Bowling Green data center: https://datacenters.atmeta.com/2025/04/hello-bowling-green/🔗 OpenAI/Oracle Saline data center (Axios): https://www.axios.com/local/detroit/2025/10/31/openai-oracle-data-center-saline-michigan-whitmer

The question now isn’t whether AI infrastructure is coming to our region – it’s how we connect it to local talent, local businesses, and long-term community benefit, not just construction spikes and headline numbers.

If you work in education, workforce development, or regional economic planning in Ohio or Michigan:

• How are you thinking about programs like AI + X as a talent pipeline?

• What commitments should data center projects make around jobs, training, energy, and community investment?

• Where do you see the biggest gaps we still need to solve?

Would love to hear how others in the Great Lakes region are approaching this.