Georgia AIM

Georgia Congressman Tours Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 02:22:41 +0000

Georgia Congressman Tours Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility admin Thu, 04/25/2024 - 22:22

When U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter from Georgia’s 1st District visited Atlanta recently, one of his top priorities was meeting with the experts at Georgia Tech’s 20,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility (AMPF).

Carter was recently named the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s chair of the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee, a group that concerns itself primarily with contamination of soil, air, noise, and water, as well as emergency environmental response, whether physical or cybersecurity.

Because AMPF’s focus dovetails with subcommittee interests, the facility was a fitting stop for Carter, who was welcomed for an afternoon tour and series of live demonstrations. Programs within Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute — specifically the Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) and Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP) — were well represented.

“Innovation is extremely important,” Carter said during his April 1 visit. “In order to handle some of our problems, we’ve got to have adaptation, mitigation, and innovation. I’ve always said that the greatest innovators, the greatest scientists in the world, are right here in the United States. I’m so proud of Georgia Tech and what they do for our state and for our nation.”

Carter’s AMPF visit began with an introduction by Tom Kurfess, executive director of the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute; Steven Ferguson, principal research scientist and managing director at Georgia AIM; research engineer Kyle Saleeby; and Donna Ennis, the Enterprise Innovation Institute’s director of community engagement and program development, and co-director of Georgia AIM.

Ennis provided an overview of Georgia AIM, while Ferguson spoke on the Manufacturing 4.0 Consortium and Kurfess detailed the AMPF origin story, before introducing four live demonstrations.

The first of these featured Chuck Easley, Professor of the Practice in the Scheller College of Business, who elaborated on supply chain issues. Afterward Alan Burl of EPICS: Enhanced Preparation for Intelligent Cybermanufacturing Systems and mechanical engineer Melissa Foley led a brief information session on hybrid turbine blade repair.

Finally, GaMEP project manager Michael Barker expounded on GaMEP’s cybersecurity services, and Deryk Stoops of Central Georgia Technical College detailed the Georgia AIM-sponsored AI robotics training program at the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource (VECTR) Center, which offers training and assistance to those making the transition from military to civilian life.

The topic of artificial intelligence, in all its subtlety and nuance, was of particular interest to Carter.

“AI is the buzz in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “Whether it be healthcare, energy [or] science, we on the Energy and Commerce Committee look at it from a sense [that there’s] a very delicate balance, and we understand the responsibility. But we want to try to benefit from this as much as we can.”

He continued: “I heard something today I haven’t heard before, and that is instead of calling it artificial intelligence, we refer to it as ‘augmented intelligence.’ I think that’s a great term, and certainly something I’m going to take back to Washington with me.”

Said Ennis, “It was a pleasure to host Rep. Carter for a firsthand look at AMPF, which is uniquely positioned to offer businesses the opportunity to collaborate with Georgia Tech researchers and students and to hear about Georgia AIM.”

She added, “At Georgia AIM, we’re committed to making the state a leader in artificial intelligence-assisted manufacturing, and we’re grateful for Congressman Carter’s interest and support of our efforts.”

Summary sentence

Buddy Carter visit focused on scope of innovation to address challenges

Summary

Visit includes overview of Georgia AIM project.

Dateline

Wed, 04/24/2024 - 12:00

eve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu

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Eve Tolpa
eve.tolpa@innovate.gatech.edu

Associated importer

Keywords

Buddy Carter

artificial intelligence

Georgia AIM

Donna Ennis

Enterprise Innovation Institute

AMPF

Chuck Easley

Steven Ferguson

Aaron Stebner

go-researchnews

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Business and Economic Development

Georgia AIM co-director speaks at White House Equity Event

admin — Fri, 16 Feb 2024 15:05:41 +0000

Georgia AIM co-director speaks at White House Equity Event admin Fri, 02/16/2024 - 10:05

Georgia AIM, part of Georgia Tech's Enterprise Innovation Institute, works to drive AI adoption to lead the next revolution in U.S. manufacturing across all sectors, geographies, communities, and across underrepresented constituencies.

In addition to Ennis, Aaron Stebner, an associate professor in Georgia Tech's George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, serves as Georgia AIM co-director and lead at the Georgia Tech Manufacturing Institute's Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility.

Georgia AIM's mission is to serve all Georgians, including rural residents, women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), those living with disabilities, and veterans. Historically, these groups have been underrepresented in manufacturing.

The White House selected Georgia AIM among the many Build Back Better-funded projects to highlight the importance of community-based work in achieving equity. Below are Ennis’ prepared remarks for the event. With Ennis was Don Graves, deputy secretary of commerce, and former Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Stephen K. Benjamin, a senior advisor to President Joe Biden.

Thank you, Secretary Raimondo and Mr. Benjamin, for this opportunity to discuss how critical the Build Back Better funding has been to our efforts in Georgia in promoting equity.

The Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing project (or Georgia AIM) is dedicated to fostering the equitable development and deployment of innovation and talent in AI for manufacturing. Through new innovative approach to funding, that is a coalition model, EDA has provided a pathway for us to develop a network of over 40 partners across the state, including educational institutions, community organizations, and local agencies, to establish an ecosystem unlike any other focused on workforce development, technology innovation, and resilience in manufacturing.

Georgia AIM’s projects are strategically different in communities across Georgia, because they are tailored to those communities’ specific needs. From boosting robotics competitions in K-12 education to enhancing hurricane resilience and aiding local manufacturers, our grassroots approach ensures meaningful outcomes. This has all been enabled through the Build Back Better funding.

Our customized approach means these innovations can significantly impact lives in Georgia’s rural areas, as well as in communities that are historically underrepresented in manufacturing—in particular, women, people of color, veterans, and members of the workforce without a college degree.

For example, just a few weeks ago, we welcomed our first 18 graduates of a Georgia AIM-sponsored AI robotics training program at the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center. Graduates transition to jobs with Robins Air Force Base, internships with Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility, or private industry around the state.

And because of this funding, mobile labs developed by the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship, University of Georgia, and HBCU Fort Valley State University will extend our reach to rural communities and communities of color, introducing them to smart technologies. These labs are equipped with examples of virtual reality, sensors, robotics, and 3-D printing, with instructors and custom curricula to introduce residents to these new technologies.

Among manufacturers, Georgia AIM has reached nearly 150 small and medium manufacturers including, rural, women-, veteran- and minority-owned companies to help them understand smart technologies.

Funding for Georgia AIM is allowing Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility to nearly double its footprint and incorporate a new suite of smart tools and demonstration projects. Already, this facility has partnered with dozens of manufacturers, offering internships and apprenticeships, and guidance to manufacturers of all sizes. In the past year alone, more than 140 companies have learned about AI integration through tours of the facility.

While I could go on and on about how the Build Back Better funding is helping Georgia, I want to emphasize that Georgia AIM’s focus is strategic. We are building a foundation for an innovation economy in a part of the country that historically has not experienced this level of investment from the Federal government. Because of this investment, our AI-based solutions for manufacturers and STEM education efforts are customized for communities, creating a framework that can be replicated across the country. But underlying all of this is equity. We are building an ecosystem that uses AI to solve problems and create innovations for all communities—and, over time, create a template that can then be used to lift up communities across the country. Please visit Georgiaaim.org for more details about our project.

Watch the full event.

Summary sentence

Georgia AIM selected to highlight the importance of community-based work in achieving equity.

Summary

WASHINGTON — Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM) co-director Donna Ennis spoke at a White House event on Wednesday, Feb. 14, announcing new equity plans unveiled by federal agencies.

Dateline

Fri, 02/16/2024 - 12:00

peralte@gatech.edu

Contact

Péralte C. Paul
peralte@gatech.edu
404.316.1210

Kristen Morales
kristen.morales@innovate.gatech.edu

Associated importer

Keywords

Georgia AIM

artificial intelligence (AI)

go-gtmi

go-researchnews

White House

equity

Donna Ennis

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Business and Economic Development

Georgia AIM

Georgia Congressman Tours Georgia Tech’s Advanced Manufacturing Pilot Facility

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Georgia AIM co-director speaks at White House Equity Event

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