Last updated on June 12th, 2025 at 05:36 pm

‘AI 101 for Local Officials’ puts new tool in local officials’ toolbox

Artificial intelligence isn’t just for high-tech workers and sleek manufacturing facilities. AI can also be a tool for cities and towns.

A new series of workshops hosted by the Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR), part of the Enterprise Innovation Institute at the Georgia Institute of Technology, connects municipal employees and economic development organizations to ways AI can improve efficiency and reduce government costs. These daylong workshops can help to brainstorm solutions to public-sector issues such as traffic, public safety, and overall government efficiency.

These workshops are made possible through funding from Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM). Both CEDR and Georgia AIM are part of Georgia Tech’s Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2).

“We want to help local officials better understand how they can be part of the AI revolution,” said Leigh Hopkins, assistant director for CEDR, who is among the CEDR team members leading the workshops. Other partners include the University of Georgia and representatives from Georgia Power and Georgia EMC. “We’re here to help you tee up AI; that’s why Georgia AIM is here.”

An AI overview

The workshop, “AI 101 for Local Officials,” starts with the basics of what AI is and how it uses information. Sean Madhavaraman, project manager with the Georgia Manufacturing Extension Partnership (GaMEP), another Georgia AIM partner and EI2 program, leads a discussion of the three levels of AI: Narrow, strong, and super. With each level, he said, AI’s ability to use and apply data grows stronger.

At a recent workshop, Madhavaraman asked attendees to guess the level of today’s AI. Many guessed “strong” — a level where AI can learn across different spaces or uses. But not to worry, Madhavaraman said. We’re not even close to that, and that’s OK. Rather, it means AI is ripe for experimentation without the worry of it “taking over.”

He also offered some perspective on the changes AI and automation will bring to manufacturing. Just as jobs have changed over the years as new technology is introduced, roles in manufacturing will change with the technology. The World Economic Forum has noted that 85 million jobs will be displaced by AI over the next decades. But, said Madhavaraman, “it also believes that 97 million new jobs will be created by the AI revolution.”

Security and safety

Michael Barker, a cybersecurity expert from GaMEP, also offered perspectives on the challenges organizations have as they adopt smart technology. AI requires data, which is often uploaded and processed in a cloud environment. Those connections create the potential for hackers and other nefarious entities to gain access to internal systems and other files.

For municipalities, data storage and security are top concerns. AI is used in cybersecurity in a variety of ways, Barker added, including:

• Providing a cost savings through efficient practices
• Faster response times
• Reduced false positives
• Fewer security-related incidents

While AI can offer some security solutions, it can also contribute to community resiliency. This was the message from Chuck Easley of Georgia Tech’s Supply Chain and Logistics Institute, who also spoke to recent workshop attendees about projects underway through the Rural Supply Chain Resilience project with Georgia AIM.

“AI is a powerful tool for supply chain resilience,” said Easley, as he cited recent natural disasters and shipping crises affecting the East Coast. Whether it’s building models or analyzing current trends in real time, AI offers a low-cost tool to help organizations see issues before they might otherwise be detected. “For example, AI can help you go back, look at where things were, and help you make decisions going forward.”

Working it out

Along with expert speakers, the “AI 101” workshops offer an opportunity for attendees to apply their new knowledge. By breaking into small groups, they can propose community challenges and potential solutions using their new AI knowledge. Topics can include traffic issues, water usage and reclamation, and public safety.

Solutions don’t have to be big and costly, added Hopkins. Rather, having a basic understanding of AI and its capabilities is the first step.

The workshops also include demonstrations from Georgia AIM’s Mobile Studio, allowing participants to experience new technology such as virtual reality and robots.

The workshop was a positive experience, said Terri Partain, Hart County administrator, and gave her tools she can now take back to her community.

“The ‘AI 101 for Local Officials’ was extremely beneficial. It opened my eyes to many different applications of AI both in manufacturing and opportunities for utilization in projects within my role of economic development,” she said. “I came into this class with a lot of uncertainty and left with more awareness and knowledge to build from. The afternoon breakout groups were especially beneficial.”

For more details on “AI 101 For Local Officials” workshops, visit CEDR’s website for upcoming dates.