Understanding the Possible Impacts of Emerging Technologies on the Atlanta Region
Initiated in 2021, the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Emerging Technologies Roundtable is comprised of subject matter and issue experts from the Metropolitan Atlanta community. Roundtable members meet quarterly to explore, advise, and report on the ways in which emerging technologies may impact how we will live, work and travel in our region over the coming decade and beyond. Following each Emerging Technologies Roundtable (ETR) meeting, a report is published that summarizes the meeting themes and explores possible future scenarios. The reports are designed to better prepare ARC staff, constituents, and the governments we serve to plan for preferred outcomes by providing actionable insights on plausible futures.
Topic Areas and subtopics:
- Artificial Intelligence: Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Bias, Generative AI
- Muhammed Ahmed, November 2021: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
- Dr. Nashlie Sephus, July 2022: Responsible Artificial Intelligence
- David Giguere, March 2023: AI Policy and Regulation Primer
- Dr. Justin B. Biddle, April 2023: AI, Ethical and Societal Implications, and Policy
- Jon Neiditz, April 2023: Model Code for Local Governments using Generative AI
- Steve Williams, October 2023: Preliminary Guidance on the Use of GenAI Tools
- Jon Neiditz, December 2023: Developing Model Code with Generative AI
- David Giguere, January 2025: Overview and Analysis of Trump Administration's AI Investment
- David Giguere, May 2025: Video: MAX Minutes with David Giguere
- Infrastructure and Connected Communities: 5G/6G, IoT, Smart Cities, V2X, Digital Twin
- Brandon Branham, February 2022: Connected Communities
- Matthew Reeves, August 2024: Digital Twins
- Energy, Climate, Water and Environment: Small Modular Reactors, Solar, Wind, Wave, Grid, Water Technology, Electrification and Resilient Systems
- Mark Lauby, February 2022: Energy, Electrification and Resiliency
- Dr. Marilyn A. Brown, April 2022: Alternative Futures for Solar Power in Georgia
- October 2024: Is the Metro Atlanta region ready for our Electrified Future?
- Leigh Hopkins and Betsy McGriff, May 2025: Georgia Grid-Ready Communities
- Transportation: Micromobility, Electric and Autonomous Vehicles, Advanced Air Mobility, Drones
- Laura Rogers, November 2021: Transportation Technology
- Andrew Heath, P.E., January 2023: EVs and Electrification
- Virtual Presence and Gaming: Extended Reality, Metaverse and Gaming
- Elizabeth Strickler, April 2022: The Virtual is Real
- Yolanda A. Barton, September 2023: Historic Preservation through Immersive Technology
- Manufacturing and Construction: Nanotech, Materials, Housing Innovations, 3D-Printing
- Robert Herrig, January 2023: Future Trends in Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chain
- Supply Chain and Logistics: Autonomous Guided Vehicles/Mobile Robots, Freight, Intermodal
- Robert Herrig, January 2023: Future Trends in Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chain
- Fintech: Distributed Ledger Technology, Cryptocurrency, Smart Contracts, Non-Fungible Tokens
- Jim Jaquish, July 2022: The Effects of Cryptocurrency Mining on the Atlanta Region
- Food and Agriculture: Vertical Farming, Synthetic Food, Bioreactors
- Robotics and Automation: Humanoid Robots, Human-Robot Collaboration/Cobots, Ind/Pro Robots, RPA
- David Giguere, May 2025: Video: MAX Minutes with David Giguere
- Aging and Health: Biotech, Synthetic Biology, Cellular Health, Brain-Computer Interface, Augmented Humans
- Safety and Security: Public Safety, Crime, Cybersecurity, Trust, Biometrics
- Computing: Quantum, Software, Systems Integration
- The Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Community
- Jon Neiditz, April 2023: Model Code for Local Governments using Generative AI
- Jon Neiditz, December 2023: Developing Model Code with Generative AI
- The Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Arts
- Jessica Anderson, July 2022: The State of Digital Art in Atlanta
- The Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Ethics
- The Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Economy (Innovation, Production and Economics)
- The Intersection of Emerging Technologies and Work & Workforce Development
Previous Meetings
2026 MAX Minutes: Humanoid Robots, Iceberg Index and Smart Glasses
May 22, 2026
- From digital assistants and machine learning to smart glasses and humanoid robotics, artificial intelligence is already reshaping both white-collar and blue-collar work—often in ways that aren’t yet fully visible. How can workforce partners navigate uncertainty, support talent development, and lead through change in an era of rapid innovation? David Giguere, Deputy Chief Research & Innovation Officer at the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), joined MAX to explore how emerging AI technologies are transforming the future of work.
Video: MAX Minutes with David Giguere
Q2 2026 Meeting
May 12, 2026
- Our Q2 2026 meeting included two presentations:
- Leigh Hopkins and Betsy McGriff, Center for Economic Development in the Research Enterprise Innovation Institute, presented on Georgia Grid-Ready Communities.
- David Giguere, Deputy Chief Research & Innovation Officer at the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), provided an ETR portfolio update.
Presentation: Georgia Grid-Ready Communities
Presentation: Q2 2026 Portfolio Update
Q1 2026 Meeting
March 3, 2026
- Our Q1 2026 meeting was centered around an ETR portfolio update by David Giguere, Deputy Chief Research & Innovation Officer at the Atlanta Regional Commission.
Presentation: Q1 2026 Portfolio Update
Q4 2025 Meeting
December 1, 2025
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- 2025 Topic Setting: Our Q4 meeting will focus on updates related to Housing and Transportation Technologies.
- Adjourn
Presentation: Q4 2025
Q3 2025 Meeting
September 18, 2025
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- 2025 Topic Setting: Our Q3 meeting will focus on Autonomous vehicle technologies in Transportation.
- Adjourn
Presentation: Q3 2025
2025 Mid-Year Emerging Technologies Report
August 6, 2025
- This report documents the process used to leverage OpenAI ChatGPT Agent and ChatGPT 4o, Anthropic Claude Sonnet 4 and Google Gemini 2.5 Flash to generate, analyze, regenerate and fact-check a trend analysis of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Emerging Technologies topic areas.
Report: Emerging Technologies Analysis using ChatGPT Agent
Q2 2025 Meeting
June 30, 2025
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- 2025 Topic Setting: Our Q2 meeting will focus on emerging Materials & Methods related to Housing. We will begin with an overview, followed by material from the Future Today Institute’s (FTI) Tech Trend report, and dive into an FTI future scenario to kickstart conversation on the regional implications.
- Adjourn
Q1 2025 Meeting
March 24, 2025
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- 2025 Topic Setting: During our Q1 205 meeting, we invited Roundtable members to propose topics that intersect with ARC’s portfolio of work and may prove to be regionally impactful. We challenged our members to share one or more potentially impactful emerging technologies or societal shifts that may arrive in the coming years. We selected Housing Materials and Methods and Autonomous Transportation technologies as the two topics to focus on in 2025.
- Adjourn
Q4 2024 Meeting
December 3, 2024
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- Presentation on Georgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing (Georgia AIM): Leigh Hopkins, AICP, CEcD, Assistant Director of the Center for Economic Development Research at Georgia Tech and ETR member, and Donna Ennis, Associate Vice President of Community-based Engagement and Co-Director of Georgia AIM
- Adjourn
Q3 2024 Meeting
October 2, 2024
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- Presentation on Is the Metro Atlanta region ready for our electrified future?: Dr. Rich Simmons, Principal Research Engineer and Fellow at Georgia Tech’s Strategic Energy Institute (SEI), and Mark Lauby, Senior Vice President & Chief Engineer at North American Electric Reliability Corporation and ETR Member.
- Adjourn
Meeting Report: Is the Metro Atlanta region ready for our electrified future?
Q2 2024 Meeting
June 3, 2024
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- Presentation on What is Participation in a Data-Driven City?: Dr. Carl DiSalvo, Associate Professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology
- Adjourn
Q1 2024 Meeting
March 12, 2024
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ARC; ETR Co-Chair Kerry Armstrong, ARC; Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- Presentation on GDOT’s Advanced Air Mobility Community Guidebook: Dr. Clement Solomon, Director of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Intermodal Division
- Adjourn
Meeting Report: Advanced Air Mobility
Q4 2023 Meeting
December 8, 2023
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission and Mayor Tom Reed, ETR Co-Chair and Mayor of the City of Chattahoochee Hills
- Presentation on Developing Model Code with Generative AI: Jon Neiditz, ETR Member & Partner at Kilpatrick Townsend focusing on Cybersecurity, Privacy and Data Governance.
- Adjourn
Meeting Report: Developing Model Code with Generative AI
Q3 2023 Meeting
September 8, 2023
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on Historic Preservation through Immersive Technology: Yolanda A. Barton, Founder, Inclusion Architect, and Immersive Storyteller at RevereXR
- Adjourn
Meeting Report: Historic Preservation through Immersive Technology
Q2 2023 Meeting
April 27, 2023
- Welcome: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on Artificial Intelligence: Ethical and Societal Impacts: Dr. Justin B. Biddle, Director of the Georgia Tech Ethics, Technology, and Human Interaction Center (ETHICx)
- Proposed Schedule for upcoming meetings
- Adjourn
Q1 2023 Meeting
January 18, 2023
- Welcome and New Member Introductions: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on EVs, Electrification and Future Modes of Transportation: Andrew J. Heath, P.E., Deputy Chief Engineer at Georgia Department of Transportation
- Presentation on Trends in Supply Chain and Advanced Manufacturing: Robert F. Herrig, Director of Supply Chain and Advanced Manufacturing at the Metro Atlanta Chamber
- Proposed Schedule for upcoming meetings
- Adjourn
Meeting Report: EVs and Electrification & Supply Chain and Advanced Manufacturing
Applied Future Scenarios
October 20, 2022
- Welcome: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Strategic Foresight: Who, Why and How: David Giguere, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Review your Four Futures: Roundtable Members
- Exploring Two Strategic Foresight Tools: David Giguere, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Craft Future Scenarios: Roundtable Members
- Adjourn
Q3 2022 Meeting
July 29, 2022
- Welcome and Introductions: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on Responsible AI: Dr. Nashlie Sephus, Applied Science Manager at Amazon AI and Founder/CEO at The Bean Path
- Presentation on The State of Digital Art in Atlanta & Possible Futures: Jessica Anderson, Research Scientist and Director of DataWorks at Georgia Institute of Technology
- Proposed Schedule for upcoming meetings: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Adjourn
Q2 2022 Meeting
April 27, 2022
- Welcome and Introductions: Anna Roach, Executive Director and CEO, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on Alternative Futures for Solar Power in Georgia: Dr. Marilyn A. Brown, Regents’ Professor School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology
- Presentation on Virtual Presence: Elizabeth Strickler, Senior Lecturer and Director of Entrepreneurship Programs at Creative Media Industries Institute at Georgia State University
- Proposed Schedule for upcoming meetings: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Adjourn
Q1 2022 Meeting
February 25, 2022
- Welcome and Accomplishment Summary: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on Energy, Electrification and Resiliency: Mark G. Lauby, Senior VP and Chief Engineer at North American Electric Reliability Corporation
- Presentation on Connected Communities: Brandon Branham, CTO and Assistant City Manager at the City of Peachtree Corners, Georgia
- Topic Suggestions: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Adjourn
Introduction to Future Scenarios
February 11, 2022
- An Introduction to Future Scenarios: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
Q4 2021 Meeting
November 19, 2021
- Welcome: Doug Hooker, Executive Director, Atlanta Regional Commission
- ARC’s Region and Groups: An Overview: Mike Alexander, Center for Livable Communities Director, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Emerging Technologies: The Perspective of an Elected Official: Mayor Tom Reed, City of Chattahoochee Hills
- Emerging Technologies Roundtable Structure and Process: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Presentation on Transportation Technology: Laura Rogers, The Ray and Mayor Reed
- Presentation on Artificial Intelligence: Muhammed Ahmed, Mailchimp and Mayor Reed
- Future Scenarios and Post-Meeting Survey: David Giguere, ETR Co-Chair, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Closing Remarks: Chairman Kerry Armstrong, Atlanta Regional Commission
- Adjourn
