Georgia is no stranger to innovation. Long known for its many tech-forward strategic industries like aerospace and defense, agricultural technology, energy, information technology, and advanced manufacturing, Georgia is perfectly positioned to make serious inroads in disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence.
Top talent, outstanding resources, and a strong university presence here have allowed Georgia to become a growing regional and national tech hub where innovation naturally flourishes.
Georgia Tech got the party started with the creation of Tech Square about 20 years ago, which is now home to more than 30 Corporate Innovation Centers for national leaders like AT&T, Honeywell, and Delta Air Lines. Tech Square has attracted top talent from schools like Georgia Tech and Emory University and HBCUs like Morehouse College and Spelman College, along with the state’s top research facilities and data centers.
The University of Georgia’s Innovation Gateway, the university’s intellectual property licensing and startup arm, is producing AI-powered technologies and companies that are shifting paradigms and revolutionizing how we do business and solve society’s biggest problems. And Georgia’s Advanced Technology Development Center is where startup companies continue to develop AI solutions that are changing the face of its aerospace, logistics, and manufacturing sectors.
Atlanta, in particular, has become a rising star in technology in Georgia. Recently named a top tech hub by Business Facilities magazine, Atlanta has been home to countless impressive startups and valuable acquisitions. For example, MailChimp, an AI-driven email marketing and automation company, recently sold to Intuit for $12 billion. Explore Atlanta Tech Village and you’ll find hundreds of emerging companies. Fintech also has a large presence in Atlanta; in fact, the area is often referred to as “Transaction Alley” because it processes nearly 70 percent of all the transactions involving debit, credit, and prepaid cards.
Georgia has all the makings for a successful career in AI, but you’ll need a solid foundation in this interdisciplinary field if you want to be seen as a serious contender. Fortunately, a growing number of colleges and universities, both in Georgia and across the country, are expanding their AI degree offerings at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to prepare students for AI careers in nearly every sector and industry. And many schools have begun offering bachelor’s and master’s degrees in AI through fully online formats, which allow students to earn the AI degree that’ll jumpstart or advance their career in computer science, engineering, data analysis, or business from anywhere in the world.
Georgia Universities Partner to Explore the Use of AI in the Diagnosis and Treatment of COVID
It’s a fight against COVID, and artificial intelligence is taking the lead.
Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have partnered to explore how AI can be used to improve the way COVID is diagnosed and treated.
During the height of the pandemic, telemedicine and electronic health record messaging allowed patients to visit their physicians in a virtual format, while at-home COVID tests allowed patients to test for the disease and inform their doctor without leaving their home. Though these advances in healthcare offered tremendous benefits for both patients and physicians, doctors’ offices struggled to keep up with phone and online traffic. As a result, many patients waited for an extended period of time to receive treatment.
Building off previous deep learning predictive models, the research team began to explore how natural language processing can be used to accelerate the time between when a patient reaches out to their doctor’s office, the doctor responds, and the patient is able to begin a course of antiviral medication.
In 2022, they developed a natural language processing model at five Atlanta-area hospitals that was able to immediately alert a physician when a patient sent their positive COVID test result through the electronic health record, allowing the physician to prescribe an antiviral medication prescription within a five-day treatment window. The researchers found that their model successfully found a positive COVID test result with 94 percent accuracy.
The research team noted that there are many opportunities to use the technology for other applications in the future and that the use of advanced natural language processing models has the power to accurately identify patients at risk of a certain disease in real-time and significantly increase the speed at which patients receive care.
AI Jobs in Georgia
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, jobs for AI professionals in Georgia, who fall under the broader computer information and research scientists job title, are expected to rise significantly in the coming years. In the years leading up to 2030, the number of these jobs is expected to rise about 17 percent.
Artificial Intelligence Jobs in Atlanta, Roswell, and Alpharetta
Computer vision engineers, business intelligence developers, machine learning engineers, data scientists, and more—the AI field in Georgia is rich in opportunities for professionals with a solid AI skillset and education to match. For example:
- AI architects at Oracle Defunct in Atlanta design, develop, and troubleshoot software programs and operating systems within the company’s software engineering division.
- The director of AI/ML at Intuit in Atlanta leads teams that build and deploy AI and ML technologies and translates complex business requirements into bold AI/ML strategies.
- AI product managers at Verizon in Alpharetta drive the development of AI-powered products and services and lead cross-functional teams that ensure successful product delivery.
- AI developers at the Judge Group in Alpharetta, a business management consultancy firm, drive growth and business innovation by implementing ML techniques and AI technology. These professionals lead data science projects that drive a better customer experience, operational efficiency, and marketing effectiveness.
- AI/ML scientists at General Motors in Roswell drive the design, development, and deployment of advanced statistical and mathematical solutions using ML methods.
- Senior engineers in generative AI product engineering at Capital One in Scottsdale are part of the company’s Enterprise AI team that builds systems using their public cloud infrastructure.
- AI engineer managers at Honeywell in Atlanta work as part of the IT Information Management & Analytics team that implements generative AI, ML, and AI cognitive services. These professionals deliver AI technology solutions that accelerate digital transformation and drive operational efficiency.
AI Companies in Atlanta, Buford, and Duluth
AI companies in Georgia are changing the way business and industry throughout the state leverage data, achieve solutions, and connect with consumers.
For example, Cincinnati AI in Atlanta, a global leader in software development, creates and builds scalable mobile applications on Android, iOS, and desktop platforms.
Codoxo in Duluth has created a patented AI technology that ensures pre-payment integrity for major healthcare companies throughout North America. This AI-powered technology is also able to anticipate and locate fraud, waste, and abuse issues.
Make It Loud is a generative AI consulting firm in Buford that helps business owners find new ways to implement AI to improve their performance and boost their return on investment. Their AI-powered services include marketing, lead generation, and customer service.
Extraordinary strides in AI are also taking place throughout the state’s many leading universities. For example, Emory University has launched an institute that’s focused on using AI in the prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of diseases. Its Empathetic AI for Health Institute’s mission is to use AI to address inequities in healthcare, with the goal of enhancing patient care while lowering costs.
And Georgia Tech is home to no less than 350 faculty members working in fundamental and applied AI-related research across its six colleges and interdisciplinary research institutes and centers. Georgia Tech’s Center for Machine Learning, an interdisciplinary research center, boasts a broad range of focus areas, including robotics, AI, bioinformatics, the internet of things, and information security.
AI Salary in Atlanta
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), AI professionals in Georgia, who fall under the broader category of computer and information research scientists, earned a median salary of $71,720 as of May 2022. Those with little to no experience earned about $66,560 during this time, while those with extensive experience earned about $122,680.
AI professionals in the Atlanta metro area, which also includes Sandy Springs and Roswell, earned a median salary of $84,800 as of May 2022 – that’s about $13,000 above the state median. Those with little experience earned about $68,210 in the Atlanta metro area during this time, while those with advanced degrees and extensive experience earned about $161,490, which is nearly $40,000 above the state average.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Master’s Degree and Certificate Courses in Georgia and Online
There’s no substitute for a formal degree in the field of artificial intelligence. And thanks to a growing number of colleges and universities offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees in this interdisciplinary field, you’re sure to find a program that aligns with your career goals.
Bachelor’s degrees in AI are designed to provide students with a comprehensive foundation in the field, usually as part of computer science degrees. However, many colleges and universities are also offering AI bachelor’s degrees as stand-alone degrees that draw from a number of schools within a university. Most AI bachelor’s degrees feature a strong math core, with required courses like linear algebra, calculus, and probability. AI courses in these programs are often focused on topics like machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing.
Master’s degrees in AI are designed to prepare the practicing data analyst, engineer, business professional, or computer scientist with in-depth study in this interdisciplinary field. Because of the broad applications of AI, it’s common to find these programs offered in schools of arts and science, engineering, and computer science.
There is also a growing number of colleges and universities that offer master’s degrees and graduate certificates in AI as stand-alone programs that draw from multiple schools and departments. For example, the University of Georgia offers an MS in AI through the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, which is offered by the interdisciplinary Institute for Artificial Intelligence. This program draws students from a number of relevant background areas, such as computer science, engineering, linguistics, and psychology to prepare them to lead AI innovations across a variety of industries.
AI Computer Science Degree and Certificate Options in Athens
Explore computer science as it relates to machine learning, big data, and computer vision with a degree in AI Computer Science and learn to design AI programs and build modern AI systems:
University of Georgia
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Athens, GA
Website
MS in AI (on-campus)
Total Estimated Program Cost: $11,100 ($1,050 per-credit out-of-state)
Only public AI master’s degree in Georgia.
Also offers: BS in Computer Science with an AI area of emphasis (available as a combined undergraduate/graduate program Computer Science BS + Artificial Intelligence MS)
2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for computer information and research scientists. Job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, CareerOneStop. Figures are based on state data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.