Develop Fulton backs AI training pilot for 500 Fulton County residents

Develop Fulton approved a $97,500 pilot to bring no-cost AI training and certification pathways to at least 500 Fulton County residents and municipal employees. The seven-month program launches in October and is designed to boost workforce readiness, small-business capacity and the county’s long-term economic competitiveness.

Why it matters: - Fulton County is using a public investment to expand AI literacy across workers, municipal staff and local employers. - The program aims to help residents build skills for jobs, career transitions and business operations as AI adoption accelerates. - County leaders want the pilot to support both workforce development and broader economic competitiveness.

What happened: - Develop Fulton approved a $97,500 investment to launch AI Ready Georgia, a first-mover pilot for Fulton County. - The seven-month program will run from October 2026 through April 2027. - The pilot will provide at least 500 Fulton County residents and municipal employees with no-cost hybrid AI training and certification pathways. - Preregistration is open at AI Ready Fulton County. - Develop Fulton and the Enterprise Technology Association will present program outcomes at the third annual Atlanta AI Week conference in April 2027.

The details: - The Enterprise Technology Association will administer the pilot. - The program will open to Fulton County residents, small business owners, nonprofit professionals, people in career transitions and employees from every municipality in the county. - The initiative will create a Fulton County-branded virtual training portal. - Participants will choose from three certification tracks: AI Explorer, AI Empowered Professional and AI Empowered Leader. - AI Explorer covers AI fundamentals, prompting, responsible use and applied workflows. - AI Empowered Professional focuses on practical AI use in operations, marketing, finance, human resources and service delivery. - AI Empowered Leader is aimed at executives and senior managers responsible for AI strategy, implementation and governance. - Online coursework will be paired with in-person sessions, hands-on labs, applied exercises, peer learning and cohort-based experiences. - Develop Fulton will receive participation and progress data broken out by sector, ZIP code and municipality. - Monthly reports will track enrollment, certification progress and municipal participation. - A comprehensive outcomes report will follow at the end of the pilot.

Between the lines: - Develop Fulton is treating AI skills as an economic development tool, not just a tech issue. - The county-branded portal and segmented reporting suggest the pilot is designed to produce a model that can be measured, scaled and potentially reused. - Enterprise Technology Association chairman Zack Huhn said the program is the first of its kind in Georgia and could serve as a model for residents, businesses and organizations in the AI economy. - The launch also signals a push to align local government, employers, educators and regional groups around AI readiness.

What's next: - An October launch event will convene residents, municipal leaders, employers, educational institutions and regional partners. - Expected collaborators include Select Fulton, the Georgia AI Alliance, the Metro Atlanta Chamber, the United States Artificial Intelligence Institute and technology companies supporting the broader AI-readiness framework. - After April 2027, Develop Fulton and the Enterprise Technology Association will decide whether to continue, expand or replicate the program across Georgia. - More details on enrollment, training schedules and the launch event will be announced later.