AGP Executive Report

Tech & Health in Georgia: Georgia Tech researchers unveiled SWANS, a wireless implant network that uses body tissue to send electrical signals—small enough for syringe delivery—and demonstrated it in rats by triggering muscle stimulation from a sensor elsewhere in the body. Public Safety Tech: Kennesaw opened a new 25,000-square-foot public safety facility consolidating the police department, including a real-time crime center, virtual training room, crime lab, and K-9 area. Fintech & Education: Tether, Pave Bank, and GFTN signed an MoU to launch a Georgia–Singapore Fintech Scholars Program starting in Aug. 2027, pairing top Georgia students with Singapore’s fintech ecosystem. AI & Jobs: A new report highlights how AI is reshaping entry-level computer science hiring, pushing universities to add AI-focused training and internships. Policy Watch (Surveillance): U.S. Senators Britt and Warnock urged DOJ to issue guidance on preventing misuse of automatic license plate readers like Flock cameras. Local STEM/Community: Franklin CREATE! hosted a Startup Social for UGA students, and Georgia Southern mycology professor Sara Gremillion secured NIH funding to build a fungal genomics curriculum platform.

AI + Health Tech: Georgia Tech engineers unveiled a body-conducted wireless networking system that lets implantable sensors and wearables communicate for coordinated sensing and therapy, with a Science paper describing expandable multi-device use. Data Centers + Policy: A new wave of political pressure is hitting data centers as Georgia and beyond debate power and water strain; one analysis frames data centers as the “third rail” of politics while another notes Georgia’s role in major compute buildouts. Cybersecurity + Consumer Protection: Georgia’s AG and a multistate coalition announced a $2.3M settlement with Labcorp over the AMCA data breach, emphasizing vendor management as a non-delegable duty. Public Safety Tech: Atlanta-based Flock Safety faces mounting backlash after reports of police misuse and calls for federal guardrails; Oregon lawmakers are even considering an outright ban. K-12 Safety: GEMA/HS rolled out a Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management model for Georgia schools to identify and intervene before violence. Workforce + AI: Gov. Brian Kemp used his final workforce summit to push AI readiness for workers and training pipelines. Environment + Science: Monarch migration is peaking across the Carolinas and northern Georgia, with tracking efforts using new tags. Local Tech/Industry: Modero says it’s shipping an MCP server so telecom advisors can use AI assistants with read/write access across their full client book.

AI in Logistics: Descartes Systems Group launched the Descartes Datamyne AI Agent, aiming to cut global trade data research and analysis time by up to 90% by answering natural-language questions with traceable shipment records. Public Health & Cost of Living: A Georgetown index finds 7 in 10 Georgians face burdens tied to basics like food and healthcare, with healthcare hitting 48% of residents—higher than the national rate. Road Tech in Atlanta: Atlanta’s first year using rubber-modified asphalt on Ellis Street is showing early wins on durability and noise, with officials saying the state-backed material could expand citywide. Surveillance Cameras Under Fire: Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock and others pressed for federal guardrails on automatic license plate readers after reports of misuse, including Atlanta-area concerns tied to Flock Safety; lawmakers also heard testimony about wrongful arrests and security risks. Local Education Story: At Tattnall Square Academy in Macon, a mother-daughter duo now teaches together—highlighting hands-on training pathways from Georgia College & State University. Workforce & AI Skills: A new report on computer science grads says the coding boom is fading, with employers increasingly seeking AI-ready skills.

Surveillance Oversight: U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock is pushing the DOJ for federal “guardrails” on automated license plate readers after Georgia-linked reports of misuse, including stalking; the Senate Judiciary panel also heard calls for stricter access controls and audits as Atlanta-based Flock faces intense scrutiny. Local Tech Governance: Atlanta lawmakers and other cities are moving toward tighter rules; meanwhile, San Jose unveiled new safeguards to limit ALPR data access and expand audits after an officer’s alleged misuse. Public Safety Tech in Georgia: Atlanta Police gave a rare behind-the-scenes look at its accredited crime lab, showing how forensic work on fingerprints and firearms evidence helps solve cases. Georgia’s Data Center Boom: A new report highlights why major tech firms are expanding in Georgia, with large campuses under construction and growing rural development tied to power and infrastructure. AI Supply Chain Policy: A debate over proposed U.S. restrictions on Chinese optical transceivers raises the question of how to harden supply chains without slowing AI data center growth. Industry Investment: Gov. Kemp announced Pirelli’s $1.2B Rome, Georgia expansion, adding 1,000 jobs and advanced robotics. Health & Research: Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta was ranked No. 1 pediatric hospital in the Southeast and among the nation’s top for 2026-27, while Georgia residents face steep affordability pressure, with many struggling to cover food, healthcare, and multiple essentials. Coastal Grants: Georgia DNR opened pre-applications for Coastal Incentive Grants, supporting projects from wetlands to disaster resiliency.

Perioperative Analytics: LiveData says its LiveData Insights platform now links operating-room performance to hospital financial outcomes, adding a Daily Financial Summary that lets leaders drill from revenue and contribution margin down to blocks, surgeons, and cases. Local Tech & Education: Edsby launched Edsby Forms & Workflows to digitize complex K-12 paperwork with multi-level approvals and legally valid signatures. Solar Manufacturing Breakthrough (Georgia Tech): Researchers at Georgia Tech report a 24.3%-efficient n-TOPCon solar cell using screen-printed copper rear contacts, aiming to cut silver costs via lower-temperature contact firing. Robotics Training in Savannah: Boston Dynamics opened a training and testing center for Atlas humanoids at Hyundai’s Metaplant America, targeting real-world manufacturing integration. Advanced Materials in Atlanta: HS Hyosung Advanced Materials showcased aerospace/defense carbon fiber at CAMX 2026, highlighting its T-1000 grade and next-gen applications. Health Equity (Emory): A Georgia-focused report highlights older Black adults facing higher cognitive impairment rates and being underrepresented in Alzheimer’s trials. Public Safety Surveillance Debate: Atlanta continues revisiting Flock/ALPR rules amid privacy and accountability concerns. Industry Expansion (Pirelli): Pirelli approved a €1B-plus Georgia expansion plan, projecting about 1,000 jobs by 2033. Data Centers in Georgia: Columbia County projects major economic gains from a Google data center campus, while Statesboro faces a court challenge over a Burkhalter Road rezoning for another data center.

Surveillance Oversight in Atlanta: Mayor Andre Dickens unveiled a proposal to create citywide rules for surveillance tech, including impact reports, public review for higher-risk systems, independent technical audits, and a review panel—aimed at balancing public safety with public trust. ALPR Misuse Pressure: U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and Sen. Katie Britt urged DOJ guidance after reports of automated license plate reader misuse by Georgia law enforcement, calling for guardrails. Healthcare Cost Transparency: A new report says 65% of Georgia hospitals are complying with federal price-posting rules, with enforcement and warning letters cited as key drivers. Public Health—Wildfire Smoke: Mount Sinai studies report wildfire smoke’s fine particles may be more harmful than other pollution sources, linking it to worse lung cancer survival and higher heart/lung hospitalizations. Opioid Treatment Access: CDC-linked research finds more than 1 in 3 first buprenorphine prescriptions for opioid use disorder go unfilled within 30 days, a missed chance to start care. Manufacturing Jobs in Georgia: Pirelli announced a $1.2B Rome expansion creating 1,000 new jobs. Local Tech & Community: Atlanta Tech Bank is refurbishing donated computers for free to nonprofits, with data wiping as a priority. Wildlife Viewing Grants: Georgia DNR is accepting 2027 proposals for wildlife viewing grants up to $5,000.

Robotics in Georgia: Hyundai Motor Group has started full operations at its Robotics Metaplant Application Center in Bryan County, training Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoids to handle real factory tasks like parts logistics and sequencing—aiming for global deployment of about 25,000 robots. Hydrogen rollout: Plug Power shipped a 1 MW GenEco electrolyzer to HWR Hydrogen in Invercargill, New Zealand, to produce hydrogen for dual-fuel heavy trucks, expanding hydrogen refueling and industrial decarbonization in the region. AI deepfakes hit Georgia politics: A Georgia Tech expert says a fake, sexually targeted image of College Park’s mayor was likely AI-generated, adding to concerns that digital fakes disproportionately harm women in leadership. Public tech at the airport: Hartsfield-Jackson unveiled ATLAS, a 4.5m “sphere” experience in the terminal atrium with interactive sensors and millions of LED pixels. Health research with local reach: NIH grants totaling $825,487 fund Kennesaw State parasite research and add a new automated isothermal titration calorimeter. Science discovery: Researchers identified a new gentoo penguin species using DNA, the first new penguin species named in over a century.

Forensic Tech & Law Enforcement: Georgia Bureau of Investigation forensic artist Kelly Lawson says hand-drawn sketches still beat AI for pulling faces from witness memory, as agencies nationwide weigh accuracy and legality while AI-generated images get more realistic. Public Safety Tech Oversight: Savannah’s Flock misuse case continues as a fired officer appeals, with internal investigators confirming past misuse and raising questions about training and vendor reliance. State Courts: Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Marilyn P. Bennett to the Waycross Judicial Circuit Superior Court, making her the first woman to hold the district attorney role in that circuit. Health & Data: Emory’s VaxImpactMap expands tracking of childhood vaccination rates across Georgia and other states to flag where kids are most protected—and where coverage is slipping. Biology Breakthrough: UGA researchers identified genes that help planarian flatworms regenerate dopamine neurons and rebuild brain tissue, pointing to a molecular roadmap for future regenerative therapies. Local Education: Carrollton City Schools shared plans for a new early learning center, aiming to start kids as young as age 3. Cybercrime in Georgia: A Decatur woman was sentenced for a business email compromise scam that stole $158,000 from a strawberry seed purchase. Robotics in Georgia: Boston Dynamics opened an Atlas training center inside Hyundai’s Metaplant America near Savannah, signaling humanoid robots moving into real industrial workflows.

AI & Research: Google-backed researchers with Georgia Tech collaborators propose “Procedural Graphs,” a framework that turns step-by-step know-how into editable execution structures, boosting long-horizon LLM agent success (enterprise survival rates jump from 6% to 34% across 21 of 24 benchmarks). Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure: Federal agencies warn that AI is helping attackers generate faster exploit scripts targeting Siemens industrial controllers used in power, water, manufacturing, and food systems—raising the stakes for legacy OT networks. Local Tech Policy: Atlanta City Council is set to evaluate limits on Flock Safety’s license-plate surveillance tech, as backlash and reported misuse push the debate from “safety” to privacy and governance. Public Health (Georgia-linked): Georgia’s NCDC says kindergarten gastroenteritis cases show a favorable course, with norovirus likely in most cases, while lab testing continues. Fintech/Crypto (Georgia angle): Apple Pay job listings hint at stablecoin and tokenized-deposit strategy, while Cardano DReps rejected a treasury withdrawal tied to IOG’s Pogun Bitcoin DeFi plan. Manufacturing: Caracol, a large-format robotic additive manufacturing firm, joined America Makes to help shape U.S. AM roadmaps and supply chains.

Surveillance Oversight in Atlanta: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is set to push new city rules on police use of automated license plate readers and surveillance cameras tied to Georgia-based Flock Safety, after an APD audit flagged nearly 80 questionable cases and reported concerns about privacy and misuse. Data Centers & Water Risk: A new Ceres analysis warns that water used to generate electricity for data centers could become the dominant share of total consumption by 2030, raising stakes for Georgia’s AI buildout and local water supplies. AI-Driven Economy Shift: U.S. private spending on data centers and related equipment has overtaken residential construction for the first time in modern records, signaling where AI capital is flowing. Agriculture Biosecurity Funding: USDA is putting nearly $2M into four Georgia-linked projects to respond faster to emerging pests and diseases, including invasive thrips and other crop threats. Public Health Watch: Georgia’s National Center for Disease Control says norovirus likely caused a mass illness among Tbilisi kindergarten children, with specialists questioning why symptoms spread so widely. Local Tech & Community: A Chattanooga startup, Double Holo, is building analytics and a marketplace for Pokémon card collectors, aiming to make trading less “blind” and more data-driven.

Daylight Saving Time: Georgia’s fall clock change is set for Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, when clocks move back from 2 a.m. to 1 a.m., returning the state to Eastern Standard Time. Public Safety & Law: A Cobb County man faces serious charges after allegedly shooting his ex-girlfriend in the eye with a BB gun at a bus stop, highlighting how Georgia treats BB-gun assaults as felony-level aggravated assault. Food Policy & Health Costs: Georgia could be on the hook for $500 million to $1 billion a year to keep SNAP benefits steady under a new farm bill approach that shifts more cost-sharing to states. Space Energy: A startup in Virginia is pushing space-based solar power, aiming to beam energy to Earth by January 2028. Wildlife & Research: UGA researchers report discovering seven previously unknown viruses in threatened sea turtle populations, using genetic sequencing on fecal samples. Surveillance Tech Backlash: Flock Safety is offering voluntary separation to employees as cities reconsider or cancel license-plate camera contracts amid privacy and misuse concerns. STEM in Metro Atlanta: DeKalb-Peachtree Airport’s Good Neighbor Day Airshow drew crowds and added hands-on STEM activities tied to flight.

AI & Cybersecurity: CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz says “the genie’s out of the bottle” on AI threats, pointing to how models already exist and must be defended against—after the company’s 2024 Falcon update triggered massive outages. Privacy & Surveillance: Flock Safety is offering employees a voluntary separation program as cities scrutinize license-plate camera networks over privacy, misuse, and rising vandalism costs. Energy & Manufacturing: Suniva closed an $835M raise to build a 4.5 GW solar cell factory in South Carolina, expanding U.S. cell capacity and supporting domestic-content incentives. Space Force Collaboration: Georgia Tech Research Institute opened a secure facility to work directly with the U.S. Space Force. Public Health: CDC reports U.S. measles cases rising to 3,471 in 2026, with most tied to outbreaks—raising the stakes for MMR coverage. Wildlife Tech: Georgia Sea Turtle Center used 3D printing to build a custom harness for a rehabbed green sea turtle. Governance & AI: Fulton County officials are using AI-detection tools to flag possible machine-written ordinances, sparking questions about how rules get drafted. Local Tech/Compliance: Propper AI completed SOC 2 Type II and HIPAA alignment milestones to support enterprise healthcare use.

FTC Settlement: Atlanta-based Corpay (formerly FleetCor) agreed to a $100M settlement after the FTC alleged hidden fees and misleading fuel-card promises that cost small businesses hundreds of millions. Autonomous Delivery: A St. Petersburg council voted to explore sidewalk robot food delivery, pitching benefits for parking, emissions, and small restaurants. AI for Rural Health: Georgia Tech Research Institute launched REACH GA, an AI-enabled decision-support platform to help leaders understand and improve rural healthcare in 126 rural counties. Space Force Collaboration: GTRI opened a secure classified facility in Colorado Springs to work directly with U.S. Space Force teams. Child ICU AI: Georgia Tech and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta are building ACCORD, an AI warning system aimed at catching rapid deterioration in critically ill kids earlier. Data Center Rules Debate (Effingham): Effingham County planners said a separate data center ordinance isn’t needed, but recommended tightening existing zoning, noise, lighting, generator, water/sewer, and traffic standards. Surveillance Scrutiny: Atlanta-area and national reporting continues to spotlight Flock license-plate camera concerns, including alleged misuse and calls for stronger safeguards. Public Health & Safety: USDA is preparing an oral rabies vaccine air-drop across the Southeast as CDC warns of rising animal cases and human exposures. Materials & Toxicity: A consumer-facing look at “super-durable” home products argues that longevity can mean long-lasting indoor toxins and landfill pollution.

Georgia Tech Arts: Georgia Tech’s GT Arts Presents launches its 2026–27 season with “Imagine More,” featuring Atlanta acts like Ruby Velle and the Soulphonics plus genre-benders such as OkCello and family-friendly interactive performances. Insurance & Fraud: A new analysis estimates fraud and misrepresentation cost the U.S. auto and homeowners insurance markets about $45.3B a year, with some of that burden flowing into higher premiums for policyholders. Surveillance Oversight: Flock Safety faces fresh scrutiny after lawmakers allege a “history” of inaccurate answers, as debates over automated license plate readers keep heating up in multiple states. Public Health Research: UGA researchers report 19 viruses in Atlantic and Pacific sea turtles, including seven never-before-seen, aiming to speed outbreak response for threatened populations. Air Quality Tech: NASA’s TEMPO satellite is delivering near-real-time, hourly “chemical weather” snapshots across North America, helping track pollution spikes tied to wildfire smoke. Workforce Training: A southwest Georgia heavy-equipment program marks one year with 130+ trainees, including job placements, raises, and operator certifications. Child Welfare IT Grants: Federal grants totaling $2.2M will modernize licensing and background-check tech for foster families in 14 jurisdictions. Drone Defense: The Pentagon’s Drone Dominance “Gauntlet” competition reports improved long-distance performance across 23 platforms, supporting plans to field large volumes of small unmanned systems. Local Tech Policy: A data center town hall in Effingham County pushes for stronger, enforceable protections as OpenAI advances its Project Camellia campus plans.

Medicaid Policy Pivot: A new opinion argues Georgia can move beyond the Medicaid expansion vs. Pathways fight by measuring outcomes and building on Pathways as federal rules increasingly add work and community-engagement requirements. Fintech & Identity: Federal regulators cleared banks and credit unions to accept mobile driver’s licenses for identity checks if they can prove the device is reading a real, unexpired credential—raising practical questions for Georgia’s financial institutions. AI Safety & Law: Reporting highlights Google’s role in drafting AI chatbot safety laws while also pushing for loopholes, keeping the focus on how rules will actually work. Healthcare Pipeline in Atlanta: A new charter school, the Academy for Innovation in Medicine, pairs with Grady for hands-on clinical immersion, training sixth graders for healthcare careers amid workforce shortages. Data Centers & Water: A deep dive explains why low on-site water use at data centers doesn’t mean low total water impact, since electricity generation can carry a big water footprint. Election Security: Georgia election leaders and cybersecurity experts warn that moving toward hand-marked paper ballots still requires careful safeguards to prevent undue influence and keep voting secure. Local Tech Research: Georgia Tech researchers report progress using copper paste in TOPCon solar cells, targeting higher efficiency.

Urban Heat Research: A new NSF NCAR dataset, HUMID-Atlanta, is using high-resolution urban meteorology to quantify how heat feels in cities—aimed at helping Atlanta-area officials and health workers reduce heat-related harm. Election Tech Readiness: Georgia election leaders are urging lawmakers to move fast on switching from touchscreen voting to hand-marked paper ballots, warning that poll worker and voter training timelines could be tight. Healthcare Capacity in Georgia: Piedmont Healthcare plans Georgia’s second lung transplant program at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, targeting fall 2026 and aiming to keep more transplantable lungs and follow-up care in-state. Data Centers + Nature: Microsoft is expanding its biomimicry approach to more than 20 data centers, using an Azure-based Ecosystem Intelligence tool to guide biodiversity and water-quality improvements around sites. Surveillance Oversight: Eastpointe police opened investigations after audit logs flagged misuse of Flock license plate reader tools, with one officer disciplined and safeguards added. Forensics in the Classroom: Georgia Southern will host its second annual forensic science symposium with Shimadzu, bringing law enforcement and students together on modern investigative methods. Community Tech Access: Inspiredu received a $45,000 Taco Bell Foundation grant to expand digital skills training and technology access for underserved Georgia youth.