{"678844":{"#nid":"678844","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia AIM Week: Making Manufacturing Cool","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGold and white pompoms fluttered while Buzz, the official mascot of the Georgia Institute of Technology, danced to marching band music. But the celebration wasn\u2019t before a football or basketball game \u2014 instead, the cheers marked the official launch of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/georgia-aim-week\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia AIM Week\u003C\/a\u003E, a series of events and a new mobile lab designed to bring technology to all parts of Georgia\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOrganized by\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM)\u003C\/a\u003E, Georgia AIM Week kicked off September 30 with a celebration on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus and culminated with another celebration on Friday at the University of Georgia in Athens and aligned with National Manufacturing Day.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn between, the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio made stops at schools and community organizations to showcase a range of technology rooted in AI and smart technology.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cGeorgia AIM Week was a statewide opportunity for us to celebrate Manufacturing Day and to launch our Georgia AIM Mobile Studio,\u201d said Donna Ennis, associate vice president, community-based engagement, for Georgia Tech\u2019s\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/innovate.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEnterprise Innovation Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and Georgia AIM co-director. \u201cGeorgia AIM projects planned events in cities around the state, starting here in Atlanta. Then we headed to Warner Robins, Southwest Georgia, and Athens. We\u2019re excited about the opportunity to bring this technology to our communities and increase access and ideas related to smart technology.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia AIM is a collaboration across the state to provide the tools and knowledge to empower all communities, particularly those that have been underserved and overlooked in manufacturing. This includes rural communities, women, people of color, and veterans. Georgia AIM projects are located across the state and work within communities to create a diverse AI manufacturing workforce. The federally funded program is a collaborative project administered through Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute and the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/manufacturing\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA cornerstone of Georgia AIM Week was the debut of the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio, a 53-foot custom trailer outfitted with technology that can be used in manufacturing \u2014 but also by anyone with an interest in learning about AI and smart technology. Visitors to the mobile studio can experience virtual reality, 3-D printing, drones, robots, sensors, computer vision, and circuits essential to running this new tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThere\u2019s even a dog \u2014 albeit a robotic one \u2014\u0026nbsp;named Nova.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe studio was designed to introduce students to the possibilities of careers in manufacturing and show small businesses some of the cost-effective ways they can incorporate 21st\u0026nbsp;century technology into their manufacturing operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe were awarded about $7.5 million to build this wonderful studio here,\u201d said Kenya Asbill, who works at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/russellcenter.org\/\u0022\u003ERussell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs\u003C\/a\u003E (RICE) as the Economic Development Administration project manager for Georgia AIM. \u201cWe will be traveling around the state of Georgia to introduce artificial intelligence in manufacturing to our targeted communities, including underserved rural and urban residents.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESome technology on the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio was designed in consultation with project partners \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.kittlabs.io\/\u0022\u003EKitt Labs\u003C\/a\u003E and Technologists of Color. An additional suite of \u201ctechnology vignettes\u201d were developed by students at the University of Georgia College of Engineering. RICE and UGA served as project leads for the mobile studio development, and RICE will oversee its deployment across the state in the coming months.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo request a mobile studio visit, please visit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/georgia-aim-week\/\u0022\u003EGeorgia AIM website\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring Monday\u2019s kickoff, the Georgia Tech cheerleaders and Buzz fired up the crowd before an event that featured remarks by Acting Assistant Secretary of the U.S. EDA Christina Killingsworth; Jay Bailey, president and CEO of RICE; Beshoy Morkos, associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Georgia; Aaron Stebner, co-director of Georgia AIM; David Bridges, vice president of Georgia Tech\u2019s Enterprise Innovation Institute; and lightning presentations by Georgia AIM project leads from around the state.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFollowing the presentations, mobile studio tours were led by Jon Exume, president and executive director, and Mark Lawson, director of technology, for\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/techsofcolor.org\/\u0022\u003ETechnologists of Color\u003C\/a\u003E. The organization works to create a cohesive and thriving community of African Americans in tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m particularly excited to witness the launch of the Georgia AIM Mobile Studio. It really will help demystify AI and bring its promise to underserved rural areas across the state,\u201d Killingsworth said. \u201cAI is the defining technology of our generation. It\u2019s transforming the global economy, and it will continue to have tremendous impact on the global workforce. And while AI has the potential to democratize access to information, enhance efficiency, and allow humans to focus on the more complex, creative, and meaningful aspects of work, it also has the power to exacerbate economic disparity. As such, we must work together to embrace the promise of AI while mitigating its risks.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther events during Georgia AIM week included the Middle Georgia Innovation Corridor Manufacturing Expo in Warner Robins, West Georgia Manufacturing Day \u2013 Student Career Expo in LaGrange, and a visit to Colquitt County High School in Moultrie. The week wrapped on Friday, Oct. 4, at the University of Georgia in Athens with a National Manufacturing Day celebration.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe\u2019re focused on growing our manufacturing economy,\u201d Ennis said. \u201cWe\u2019re also focused on the development and deployment of innovation and talent in the manufacturing industry as it relates to AI and other technologies. Manufacturing is cool. It is a changing industry. We want our students and younger people to understand that this is a career.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia AIM Week launched with events and a mobile lab to bring AI and smart technology to Georgia communities. The week included stops at schools and community organizations, showcasing technology like virtual reality and 3-D printing, and culminated with a celebration at the University of Georgia.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia AIM Week launched with events and a mobile lab to bring AI and smart technology to Georgia communities."}],"uid":"35575","created_gmt":"2024-12-11 21:43:25","changed_gmt":"2024-12-11 21:48:52","author":"adavidson38","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-10-14T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"675836":{"id":"675836","type":"image","title":"IMG_0010.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia AIM representatives talk with students on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus during the launch event for their new mobile labs.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1733953421","gmt_created":"2024-12-11 21:43:41","changed":"1733953421","gmt_changed":"2024-12-11 21:43:41","alt":"Georgia AIM representatives talk with students on Georgia Tech\u0027s campus during the launch event for their new mobile labs.","file":{"fid":"259507","name":"IMG_0010.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/IMG_0010.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/12\/11\/IMG_0010.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":745756,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/12\/11\/IMG_0010.jpg?itok=Me3OCNLI"}}},"media_ids":["675836"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-aim-wins-tech-good-award-technology-association-georgia","title":"Georgia AIM Wins Tech for Good Award from the Technology Association of Georgia"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/georgia-aim-showcased-vice-presidents-economic-development-tour","title":"Georgia AIM Showcased on Vice President\u2019s Economic Development Tour"},{"url":"https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/ai-and-automation-converge-expansion-georgia-techs-advanced-manufacturing-pilot-facility","title":"AI and Automation Converge in Expansion of Georgia Tech\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility"}],"groups":[{"id":"155831","name":"Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute (GTMI)"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"131","name":"Economic Development and Policy"},{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"152","name":"Robotics"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186857","name":"go-gtmi"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kkirkpatrick9@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EKaren Kirkpatrick\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["kkirkpatrick9@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}