Gov. Phil Murphy laid out further details of his so called “AI Moonshot” during Tuesday’s budget address. The proposed plan would include $7 million to advance AI utilization and opportunities in the state.

“The goal is for our government to be a catalyst to bring together our top minds to unleash game-changing, AI-powered innovations,” the governor said during his speech. “Innovations that create jobs instead of killing them. That help unite our world — by expanding access to health care or education — rather than divide it.”

First mentioned during Murphy’s state of the state address in January, the governor on Tuesday detailed his ambitions for New Jersey to be at the forefront of new economic developments.

What is Murphy’s plan?

The proposed plan includes $4.5 million to establish an innovation challenge to find innovative solutions using state data. This will come in the form of grants open to researchers, students and entrepreneurs looking for ways to use AI to benefit New Jersey and its residents.

The governor’s plan also includes $500,000 for an AI-focused New Jersey Global Entrepreneur-in-Residence program at state universities to provide pathways for international students as well as $2 million to fund AI education in K-12 classrooms and to develop new career and technical education programs that are targeted to AI.

“We will invest in new education and career development programs so students from Cresskill to Cape May can play their part in pioneering the future,” Murphy said. “We will also create a $4.5 million AI innovation challenge to share our state’s resources with innovators eager to harness generative AI so they can change the lives of billions for the better.”

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New York also moving on AI

Murphy isn’t the only one taking steps toward future innovation. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced earlier this year that New York will be committing more than $400 million in public and private funding to create “Empire AI,” a consortium of research institutions with a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence computing center in upstate New York geared to “promote responsible research and development, create jobs, and unlock AI opportunities focused on public good.”

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ artificial intelligence: Phil Murphy shares details on AI