Georgia AIM bus arrives in Athens with advances in technology
Robot goes for a jog at UGA during Georgia AIM event
Spectators check out a jogging robot during an AIM event at the University of Georgia on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025.
- The Georgia AIM tour visited Athens and other cities to showcase innovative artificial intelligence and technology.
- The initiative aims to expose students and the public to new technologies in manufacturing and agriculture.
- Experts on the tour explained that future jobs will require skills in operating and programming robots.
In the courtyard of the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia, a robotic dog and a robotic man recently walked, ran, and waved at visitors and students. The robot even blew a kiss to the crowd.
These mechanized marvels were part of the second annual Georgia AIM Week that brought innovative artificial intelligence and technology platforms to Athens and other cities across the state.
The AIM tour bus arrived in Athens on Thursday, but the tour had stops planned for Savannah, Dublin, LaGrange, Albany, Augusta and Warner Robins, and Atlanta. Some of the tour stops were visited by school children and their families.
AIM, according to its statement, is a network of projects in the manufacturing community to bring artificial intelligence and new technology to schools, universities, technical colleges, and other institutions to inspire a new workforce.
After the first tour last year, AIM Co-Director Donna Ennis said its success prompted the Georgia AIM to continue with the tour and its goal of sharing new technology being used in manufacturing and agriculture.
“It’s extremely important, mainly because of the exposure. We need to be exposed to the possibilities in manufacturing and AI technology,” she said. “We want to help dispel some of the fears about AI as well as the myths.”
AIM is funded by a $65 million federal grant with support from the state and private sources, with a goal of developing a manufacturing workforce in the state that is skilled in these new technologies, according to AIM.
The project is led by Georgia Tech, where Ennis is the associate vice president of the Enterprise Innovation Institute.
Numerous people were on board the tour bus to explain various aspects of artificial intelligence and new technology.
Zach Farley, a software engineer from Atlanta who co-founded the nonprofit KITT Labs, explained the workings of new technology inside the bus, which is equipped with samples of new technology such as robotic arms.
“We’re telling students a lot of manufacturers will be installing these robots in their factories in the future,” he said.
And these employers want people who know how to operate and program the robots, he said.
There are not a lot of individuals who have these skills, but these are skills that will be needed in the future, he said.
AI is “changing everything, but it’s exciting,” Farley said.
Farley explained that his background is in software, but the use of AI is making his work faster and more efficient.
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