AI Takes Center Stage at Tech Square

Tuesday brought a pair of items worth putting on your calendar, Jackets: a marquee innovation summit coming to Tech Square next month, and a graduate program information session happening tomorrow. Here is your academics and research digest for September 15, 2026.

Avant South Brings “AI in Action” to Atlanta

Avant South returns to Tech Square on Oct. 12–13, convening founders, executives, policymakers, investors, researchers, creators, and students around the intersection of technology, culture, and innovation. This year’s theme, AI in Action, deliberately moves past speculation about what artificial intelligence might someday do and focuses instead on how organizations are putting it to work right now — in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, education, and the arts. Faculty and researchers will hear directly from industry leaders about the problems companies are actually trying to solve and where new research partnerships are needed, while students get a clearer picture of how AI is reshaping the careers they are preparing for.

The program spans panel discussions, keynotes, and fireside chats, with hands-on AI activations and simulations, a student founder pitch competition, and plenty of room to connect with leaders from across Atlanta’s technology ecosystem. “Avant South offers a chance to connect what happens in classrooms, research labs, and startups across campus with the communities and industries being transformed by AI,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “Whether AI becomes a transformative force for good or a threat depends on what we do to advance it and use it.” Members of the Tech community can register at a discounted $10 per ticket using the code CAMPUS at checkout. Read the full announcement at Georgia Tech News.

M.S. in Geographic Information Science and Technology Info Session

Considering graduate school, or know someone who is? Georgia Tech is hosting an online information session for the M.S. in Geographic Information Science and Technology program on Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to noon. Program Director Prof. Ramachandra Sivakumar will be joined by program alumni and academic program manager Anna Traykova to walk through the curriculum and answer questions live. The session is open to the public as well as to current undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty and staff. Event details and the Zoom link are on the Georgia Tech calendar.

Looking Ahead

Between a citywide AI summit hosted on our own campus and graduate programs opening their doors to prospective students, it is a good stretch to be part of the Georgia Tech community. Which Avant South sessions are you hoping to catch? Drop a comment below and let us know — and check back tomorrow for the next digest.