CHARLOTTE — The City of Charlotte is already known for being the second-largest banking city and is quickly making waves in the FinTech and innovation sectors. Now, the city has its eyes on artificial intelligence.
Construction of The Pearl is well underway. It’s the future home to Charlotte’s new medical school and innovation district. It’s a sign of how far the city has come and how ready it is to take the next step.
“I don’t think you can really put in words what a big deal this would be if Charlotte became a designated tech hub by the federal government,” Councilman Tariq Bokhari said.
President Biden’s Chips and Science Act includes billions of dollars for cities designated as Tech Hubs. Charlotte is trying to position itself as a worldwide epicenter for Artificial Intelligence Innovation. The Meta Lab Tech Hub submitted Charlotte’s official application.
“This has global ramifications not just to workforce development and jobs but also national security,” Bokhari said.
If recognized as a tech hub, the city would funnel the money into researching and developing AI.
James LaBar with the North Tryon Tech Hub says Charlotte’s banking strength and its future innovation sector set up the bid for success.
“The power of FinTech and then the power of med tech, and where are going towards AI and machine learning, that’s a really exciting combination of sectors coming together towards where the economy is going,” LaBar said.
Charlotte should find out in the next few months whether it made the next round of top 20 cities.
For more information on the application, click here.
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