Charlotte Lags Behind Southeast Tech Hubs in AI Research Despite Business Success

A fresh study by the Brookings Institution puts Charlotte at number 32 among U.S. cities for AI readiness. While the city shines in business use, it falls short of other Southeast tech centers in university studies.

"There's much that is unclear about AI, but it's pretty clear that it's going to have a significant impact not only on the labor market, but especially on productivity in the country," said Mark Muro per The Charlotte Observer.

The city earned a spot in the "Star Hub" group, just below the top rank. Strong banks and money firms pushed up business scores, yet research numbers stayed weak.

In the Southeast, Atlanta leads at spot 9. Raleigh-Cary sits at 25, while Durham-Chapel Hill takes 26. These cities share Charlotte's Star Hub status.

The gap shows in the numbers. Atlanta hosts 301 AI companies, while Charlotte has just 61. When it comes to studies, Atlanta produced 143 AI papers. Charlotte? Only 12.

The talent pool tells a similar story. Atlanta boasts 429,344 tech grads in key fields. Charlotte counts 168,151 - more than Raleigh-Cary's 141,684 and Durham-Chapel Hill's 51,834.

Local schools are pushing ahead with AI training. Central Piedmont Community College launched a two-year AI degree, teaching students to create and work with smart systems.

"AI is going to become part of that basic skill set that most people need to be in the workforce nowadays," said Joe Little, CPCC's dean of technology, according to NewsBreak.

UNC Charlotte runs one of the state's biggest computer programs through its College of Computing and Informatics. The school's AI Institute focuses on new tech and teaching.

John Daniels, who leads research at UNC Charlotte, sees their AI work as key to serving local needs. Their institute aims to lift both the city and nearby areas.

Schools like Duke, NC State, and UNC Chapel Hill give Raleigh-Durham an edge in research - an area where Charlotte must step up its game.