Georgia AIM Week Kicks Off with Mobile Studio Launch
The Georgia AIM Mobile Studio is being deployed across the state of Georgia as part of the Underserved Entrepreneurship Activation project. It works to expose new audiences, particularly in rural and Black communities, to AI manufacturing, allowing for the exploration of ideas, careers, and entrepreneurship in a growing, high-demand sector. The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE), in close partnership with the University of Georgia, KITTLABS, and Technologists of Color, engaged its network to develop and deploy the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio.
A series of events across Georgia, starting with a kickoff event at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, will highlight the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing and how it can transform communities and jobs.
Georgia AIM Week, which takes place Sept. 30 – Oct. 4, is hosted by Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM). The week kicks off at Georgia Tech's John Lewis Student Center with the debut of the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio. The vehicle will tour the state during the week to showcase how a wide range of organizations, including public schools, manufacturers, and technology startups, are using AI. The week will conclude on Oct. 4, National Manufacturing Day, at the University of Georgia in Athens.
Funded by a $65 million federal Economic Development Administration grant, Georgia AIM launched in September 2022 and connects 16 projects across the state, all working to develop a manufacturing workforce skilled in smart technologies and to deploy innovation in the manufacturing industry. Georgia AIM is one of the largest federally funded initiatives of its kind in the country to connect economic development with AI in manufacturing to foster advancements in innovation and workforce development. The grant project is led by Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute.
“Georgia AIM Week allows us to showcase the incredible work that we have accomplished in partnership with a range of organizations over the last two years,” said Donna Ennis, Georgia AIM co-director. “Artificial intelligence and smart technologies are a game-changer for small and medium manufacturers, and learning these technologies opens doors for our workforce. Georgia AIM is working across the state to ensure Georgia can take advantage of these new technologies, and Georgia AIM Week is highlighting these efforts.”
Along with the kickoff and wrap-up events, Georgia AIM Week events will occur in Atlanta, Augusta, Dawsonville, LaGrange, McDonough, Moultrie, Savannah, and Warner Robins. Virtual “Hour of Coding” activities for 6th to 12th graders are also planned from noon to 1 p.m. each day that week.
Manufacturing-focused events will be hosted by the Georgia MBDA Business Center, Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and the Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility located at Georgia Tech.
Georgia AIM’s work across the state includes K-12 initiatives to connect STEM and problem-solving activities to students, new labs and equipment at Technical College System of Georgia campuses, a new program for cybersecurity training at the Cyber Innovation & Training Center with Augusta University, and new workforce development programs that include training and apprenticeships and fellowships that align with local manufacturing needs. Overall, more than 3,000 students and 1,500 teachers in K-12 schools have connected with new science-based challenges. New programs are connecting Southwest Georgia career academies to advanced technologies, and the number of robotics programs for K-12 schools in Middle Georgia has doubled.
Georgia AIM funding created the AI-Enhanced Robotics Center at the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center in Warner Robins, where 24 students have received AI-Enhanced Robotic Manufacturing Specialist technical training certificates. Georgia AIM has also connected with dozens of manufacturers and communities across the state, assisting with technology implementation and pilot projects to help incorporate smart technologies.
About Georgia AIM
Funded by a $65 million grant from the federal Economic Development Administration, Georgia AIM is a network of projects across the state that connect the manufacturing community with AI and smart technologies and a ready workforce. Georgia AIM works across all geographies and demographics to bring traditionally underrepresented participants to manufacturing spaces, specifically rural residents, women, people of color, veterans, and those without a college degree. Georgia AIM projects include K-12 education, Georgia’s universities and technical colleges, workforce education, regional partnerships, nonprofits, and support for emerging technologies and manufacturers.
For more information on Georgia AIM, please visit georgiaaim.org.