Pansies cannot handle the heat of summer and will not survive in Atlanta. They will gradually get smaller and more puny as the weather heats up. You can try to gather some seed from your pansies to start in the fall for next year, but you won't be able to keep the same plants going. So yes, they are annuals.

Even moved to shade I have never had a plant make it through the summer or longer than July at most.
Violas seen to last a little longer but not much.