Emmy-winning comedian and entrepreneur Katt Williams is partnering with Miles College to give students hands-on access to artificial intelligence and augmented-reality production tools as part of a broader plan to build a production campus at Fort McClellan in Anniston, Alabama. 

The initiative includes a scholarship fund for Miles students tied to Williams’ production company, Kemet Movie Works, that creates internships and training programs intended to position HBCU graduates for jobs in virtual production, CGI, and immersive storytelling. 

"Mi casa es su casa," Williams said to WVTM news. He continued, "We had to go to another foreign country and give them millions of dollars. Instead of that, we have the ability to create all of that using qualified people of color."

Miles College President Bobbie Knight told reporters, “We’ve signed an agreement… that our students will have the opportunity to participate in learning about AI and AR,” sharing the college’s goal to prepare students for a technology-driven media landscape. 

Williams and partners plan to convert parts of the former army base into two sound stages equipped for virtual production and immersive sets, which the team says will support both indie projects and larger studio work. 

Local officials and residents have said the project could bring jobs and economic activity to the region. Anniston resident Doretha Walker said, "I didn't really think that McClellan was like on the radar. I mean, I saw the for sale signs, but I didn't know it was like on a national radar."

She added, “You saw what Tyler Perry did in Atlanta. So if we can have anything remotely like that here, bring in jobs just revitalize the economy will be great."

“There are a lot of jobs right now that in five years won’t be in existence because of AR and AI, and we want to make sure that our students are equipped with the tools they need to operate in that world,” Knight said. 

Williams acknowledged the industry's initial fear of AI, stating, "Most of the entities that are in the moviemaking business had to fear AI because of what that means. But fortunately, we were able to lean into instead of leaning against."

This partnership is explicitly vocational. It ties classroom training to internship opportunities and aims to build a production infrastructure — led by a Black-owned company — that keeps technical and visual-effects work in communities often excluded from those revenue streams. Reportedly, the agreement was publicly announced during Miles College’s homecoming last year. 

"At the end of the day, it's making for better movies, better production, everything is just better. So, we're able to use it without cutting down the workforce. We're able to do it the other way," Williams said.